


Into The Dark

by GlitterCake20



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Boys Kissing, Casual Murder, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Smut, Road Trip, Werewolf Mason Hewitt, Zombie Apocalypse, cute first kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-12 08:48:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15336225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterCake20/pseuds/GlitterCake20
Summary: Liam and Mason are tasked with saving their friend amidst the Zombie Apocalypse. They've got a car full of supplies, weapons to the max and a clear set of survival rules. What could go wrong?For my lovely Amanda, an early birthday present.  Thank you for all your beautiful words and amazing fics. We all adore you.Hope you enjoy.xoxo





	1. RULE #8:  Get a Kick-Ass Partner

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LovelyLittleGrim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyLittleGrim/gifts).



> Location: Beacon Hills

“Nolan is stuck in San Diego, he somehow got a payphone to work, called just a few minutes ago. He’s surrounded.” Scott says just as Liam and Mason enter the clinic, they re-secure the barricade and turn to the alpha. Liam hates the worried look on Scott’s face, it’s all he’s seen for the last couple of weeks but this time it seems more intense, “Could hear them on the other side. He’s pretty spooked.”

 

The whole pack managed to survive the outbreak this far. An actual fucking zombie apocalypse. Derek and Theo are in France looking for a way back after rescuing Isaac, Lydia and Stiles are in Washington monitoring the situation from there. Corey and Brett took off looking for a rogue pack in Mexico, Scott tried to keep the couples together as far as he could, in case of the worst happening- he reckoned it’d be best to be with the person you loved most.

 

Liam thinks it’s nuts, he’d rather not see the one he loves, if he had such a thing, turn into a walking corpse in front of his eyes… unless they bite him too, in which case it’s not so bad, zombie lover for all eternity, go on brain eating dates, share a plate of spaghetti... but instead of spaghetti it would be the small intestine… because you know, the…

 

“Liam…”

 

Mason’s voice pulls him from his disturbing thoughts and he grimaces for a second about the place his mind went to. He’s seen too much. Way too much. He glances over to where Mason snorts at him in the corner, and he can’t help it, he bursts out in a chuckle too.

 

“Guys, come on. This is serious. You’re the only team left, I can’t leave Beacon Hills, not with my mom in hospital and Malia won’t go without me.”

 

“You’re sending us to get Nolan?” Liam asks, his tone shifts to something laced with concern. He’d been avoiding going out into the world since it all went to shit, they do the regular run every day to make sure nothing's breached their camp and it's secure enough to last another night, but aside from that Liam stays inside with Mason.

 

They read, they talk and play board games. Mason always wins. Liam’s sure he cheats somehow, but his friend’s smile makes him feel better about all the shit outside so he lets him. When Mason laughs, Liam feels like maybe there's still a shred of hope that this will turn out okay. Maybe they're not all doomed to die.

 

“Liam, look, I know you can do this. I’ve told you many times, and you have _proved_ you can do it. It’s not that far. Argent has a car and ammo ready for you, it’s loaded with supplies. You’ll be fine.” Scott reassures him, placing a map in front of him, a fat red marker traces the way to San Diego.

 

Liam walks to where Scott stands and Mason joins him. He speaks gently, shifting closer to Mason, “Scott, I will be fine… it’s Mase I’m worried about. He’s human Scott, he can’t go… I won’t let him.”

 

Liam shudders thinking of what could happen to him out there, Liam might still survive a bite with his supernatural healing, if what Theo says is true, but not Mason, not like this. The thought alone sends bile rising in Liam’s throat.

 

“You can’t go by yourself Li, you’ll get murdered, like eaten and forgotten in the proverbial ditch our moms always spoke about.” Mason looks nervously between the alpha and his friend, “Scott?”

 

“We have no other option Liam, you’ll just need to be more careful. Nolan’s run out of supplies, his apartment's not barricaded and everyone else is too far away. It has to be you, and Mason's right, you can’t go alone.”

 

Liam’s mind races. There’s only one logical thing he can think of, the only thing that could save Mason if something were to happen…. He licks his lips, fingers tapping on the steel table, he glances at Mason before turning back to Scott, “There is one, other option…”

 

Scott looks up from the map, forehead wrinkling, “And that is?”

 

Liam takes a deep breath, he knows what the answer will be, he’s asked it once before… “You can turn him…”

 

Silence falls in the clinic; You can almost hear Scott blinking and Mason’s jaw might as well be on the ground. Liam’s heart flips in anticipation. It's not the worst idea ever, it's also not the greatest. But Liam is dead set on keeping Mason safe and if that means he gets the bite then...

 

“I mean if he wants that…” Liam quickly adds as he struggles to place the look in Scott’s eyes. It looks like he’s considering it but he’s also looking at Liam like he’s a kid nagging for candy.

 

“Liam, no… that’s… it’s not a good…”

 

“A good enough reason? Scott, if this isn’t a good enough reason then what is??”

 

“He could die…”

 

“He could die anyway!! But right now he’s healthy, there’s nothing wrong with him. At least this way he has a fighting chance if the worst happens. Theo is fine- he got bit, and he’s fine!” The thought makes his stomach twist uncomfortably.

 

“He also got really fucking sick Liam, and Derek said the bite was superficial. Had it been any deeper who knows what could have happened. Plus, add his chimera genes to the mix...It was a lucky strike.”

 

“But he’s alive right!? What would he be if he wasn’t supernatural??  And Mason's a chimera too, technically...”

 

Mason places a hand on Liam’s shoulder, squeezes lightly to calm him when his voice reaches an irritated octave. Liam breathes and tries again.

 

“Scott please, please. This is Mason, Scott. This is my best friend. He won’t survive out there like this. We will have to stop twice as much, eat twice as often… Please? Turn him.”

 

Scott leans down burying his face in his hands, and it seems even he can’t come up with an excuse not to do this or a reason it won’t work. Mason is healthy, he’s technically a chimera, he survived The Beast… “Mason, what do you want?”

 

“I want to help…. and if that means I become one of you, I’m fine with it.” he blinks hopefully between Scott and Liam.

 

Liam’s head jerks to his friend, why he’s surprised he doesn’t know- it’s a great idea. Mason smiles softly at him like he knows what Liam's thinking. Mason, nudges Liam’s shoulder, and he knows it means he should wipe the stupid grin off his face.

 

The alpha ponders for a good few seconds, looking between the two pairs of begging eyes before him. They still have a fair amount of sparkle behind them, unlike the rest of Beacon Hills, which have been damn near burned to the ground. Who knew the amount of chaos could ensue in such a short amount of time. Where houses stood are now just ruins and broken bricks, playgrounds are littered with bodies and rubbish alike, the streets are empty and quiet except for gurgled breathing and dragging feet of the undead that wander around aimlessly.

 

Scott sighs, pushing his sleeves up, “Okay fine, hop on.” He pats the steel table and Mason’s eyes grow wide, “Like now?? Right now??”

 

“We don’t have much time; Nolan's in danger… I mean if you’re ready… you don’t have to do this Mason.”

 

“Dude, I’m obsessed with you guys… in the most _non_ -creepy way. It’s awesome, so I’m not turning this down.” Mason says confidently even if he’s trembling both inside and out. Scott nods and Mason hoists himself up on the table, Liam’s beside him and he takes Mason’s hand in his own.

 

Scott shifts, his fangs drop and a bright ruby red replaces the brown of his eyes. It’s quite startling up close and Mason squeezes Liam’s hand, “Yeah he’s pretty ugly, I know. Imagine how I felt when he bit me, I was just a baby…” Liam puts on a grim face that earns him a knock to the arm.

 

Mason laughs and Liam smiles. It works, Masons doesn’t smell so nervous anymore, he smells like himself- like cinnamon and freshly washed linen. Liam’s kind of fighting not to just delve down into his neck and inhale.

 

Scott lifts Mason’s sleeve, “Okay, you ready?” The fangs muffle his voice but Mason nods. Scott bites down without warning and he supposes it’s better than expecting it but Liam knows it burns like hellfire, he knows Mason's blood must feel like is rushing to the surface of his skin, ready to erupt and his head should burst into an instant headache. Liam’s been there. Mason can’t hold it in anymore and he screams.

 

“Shh I’ve got you,” Liam cradles him to his chest, muffling his cries. He cups his hand over the bite but Scott stops him from taking the pain, “I’m not sure it'll work if you take the pain away…”

 

Liam nods and holds Mason tighter while his breathing settles, watching as Scott snips off a piece of bandage to wrap around the wound. “If this is successful, it should be healed by the morning. Liam it’s not near full moon, but he will probably still feel the effects.”

 

“I’ll take care of him. I promise. Thank you, Scott.”

 

"No problem."

 

When the fires in his blood settles, Mason gets up from the table and draws his sleeve back down. Scott hands them the key to the SUV parked outside, “You need to get going. Stick to the highway, don’t stop if you don’t have to. The SUV's geared to handle rough terrain, so uh... the... the corpses shouldn't be an issue.” Scott's clearly uncomfortable, "Just don't stop.". Liam nods, he gets the message. 

 

“Scott… if we get attacked by one of them…. If we get attacked by anyone.....” Liam doesn’t know how to ask what he needs to ask; how do you make asking for permission to kill someone sound even remotely okay?

 

“You do what you need to do to survive Liam. You fight. Both of you.”

 

* * *

 

 

While they pack Liam thinks it’s important (exciting) to establish a few ground rules and what's better to use as a guideline than their favourite movie - which by the way, is super realistic, the only difference is that the zombies lurking around camp are generally very slow and easy to outrun. The movies depict them as much faster. Deaton warned them, however, that the strain will getting stronger and they'll eventually speed up… fucking evolving zombies. Who knew. No one ever thought they’d live to see the day, or live to _live_ the day in this case.

 

“So our top six rules,” there’s no specific reason he chooses six, these just seem like the most important. The ones that makes the most sense.

 

“Get a kick-ass partner!” Mason throws a few pairs of pants at Liam, and he stuffs it in the bag, “Correct! Rule number eight!”.

 

They pay little attention to what they pack, socks, lube, for God knows what reason, cologne, beanies, extra shoes - because Theo warned them that white converse gets fucked up real fast in an apocalypse while you’re trudging through piles of corpses. Liam snorts at the thought, Theo hates dirt and grime but he loves violence so Liam reckons he fits right into this shit show that is their lives now, with his precious ruined converse. On a side note he hopes the chimera is still alive and sassing the shit out of Derek wherever they are, thankful he didn’t succumb to the bite he suffered.

 

“Hey, who do you think does all the zomb killing between Derek and Theo?” Liam strips his shirt and pulls on a fresh one, the pants go too.

 

Mason looks away quickly, “Dude, can you see Derek clawing a zombie to death? Or Theo?” Liam laughs, he tries to picture it, and Mason’s right, Theo would be the one doing that. “Derek strategizes, Theo acts, it's how they roll, you’ve seen them.”

 

“That’s not _all_ they do…”

 

“Liam!”

 

“What?? You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it...” he gives his friend a pointed glare, because honestly, who hasn’t.

 

Mason sighs like he’s relieved to finally admit it, “Dude… I’d pay to watch…” Liam smiles at him and he zips his bag up to help Liam with the rest of his shit that he’s sure the beta just leaves for him to do anyway, because he’s lazy.  

 

“So next rule, Number three- Beware of bathrooms. Don’t blink when you pee, keep the gun aimed at the door, finger on the trigger at all times, and lock up if you can.”

 

“Yes sir!” Mason salutes all mockingly and cute and Liam laughs, “Rule number twenty-nine, The buddy system.” Mason continues, because he knows these random rules off by heart, they both do.

 

“We cover each other, always. You reload first then me, just like on X-Box. And we fight back to back. You’re my eyes and I’m yours.”

 

“Copy that!”

 

“Rule twenty-two. Know your way out,” Liam grabs their bags and they head downstairs, “there is always a way, you just need to look hard enough. Zombs can’t climb, they can’t do shit except chow flesh. So never panic, just.. look.” Simple. Easy. Foolproof. Right?

 

“Got it.” They toss the bags into the SUV’s boot and circle around to get in.

 

“Two,” Liam says waiting for Mason to answer because this is probably the utmost important of rules. The new wolf smiles at him, “Double tap baby!”

 

“Double tap!!” Liam confirms and starts up the car, it hums to life and they’re off, “Double tap, double count, double everything! You can never be too sure. Remember those fucking clowns?? You think they’re down but…”

 

“Jesus, zombie clowns… I thought it couldn't get any more terrifying.” Mason shakes himself out, “Last rule…”

 

“Don’t be a hero. Heroes always die.” Liam says.

 

They turn to each other and speak at the same time, “Unless you need to be a hero… then be a motherfucking hero!!” laughing, they high five and struggle to wipe the smiles off their faces as the SUV barrels down the freeway, passing what’s left of the Beacon Hills sign.

 


	2. RULE #3: Beware of Bathrooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Location: Somewhere between Beacon Hills and Bakersfield.

They’ve been driving for a few hours, the sun’s hot and irritating in the confines of the black SUV. Liam is sure it’s more internal than anything else. They haven’t been free since this all started - always cooped up, always trapped inside some place.

 

The undead population decreases the further they drive out of the city and the countless corpses they’ve seen strolling along the highway, are now few and far between.

 

Liam glances over at Mason every few seconds, he listens to his heart to make sure it’s still beating steady and somewhat normally, and he keeps an eye on the blood-soaked bandage around his arm. The spot doesn’t get any bigger. Liam doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing since he can’t remember exactly when his own wound healed. He knows, however, that they are both too scared to take the bandage off.

 

“You feeling okay?” Liam asks bringing his eyes back to the road.

 

“Yeah, fine. My head hurts and I’m hot but I guess that’s normal.”

 

“Headache is normal yeah.”

 

Mason wipes a rash of sweat from his forehead, he notices that Liam hasn’t turned on the radio on and reaches for the knob.

 

“Uh no! That’s a bad idea Mase…. your hearing. It’ll be too much.” Liam explains, Mason nods and drops his hand, “Sorry…” Liam apologises.

 

Mason waves him off, “You think all the others are all still okay?” he asks.

 

“They’re strong. They’ll be fine.”  At least that’s what he tells himself because the alternative is just too haunting to even consider.

 

“So Theo and Derek huh….”

 

Liam remembers how surprised they all were about it when they told the pack. Well they didn’t come out or anything- the pack showed up at Derek’s loft, seeking refuge and Theo came strutting out with a white towel around his waist. Derek did that eyebrow-lift-death-glare thing and everyone just minded their own business.

 

“It works though. They can be salty and rude together.” Liam snorts and sees Mason smile and  glance out the window and Liam hesitates a while before he speaks again, “You and Corey really done?”

 

Mason sighs like he knew the question was coming, “It’s done, yeah. He’s happy now.”

 

“Sorry Mase.”

 

Mason shrugs, “Happens.”

 

Things didn’t quite work out for any of them the way they thought it would have. Hayden never came back, and he was left alone. Except for Mason- his friend’s always just been there by his side, even now when they find themselves in an actual apocalypse, even if it's all gone to shit he still has Mason with him. That kind of makes all the difference in a situation like this, just having _ someone _ .

 

“Hey, you think we can pull over to pee?” Mason asks after a while of being silent.

 

Liam scans the highway for walkers. There's very few where they are now and he sees an abandoned gas station up ahead, a few cars parked off to the side of the road with their doors open and the insides vacant. Liam ignores the huge stain on the cement next to one car, it doesn’t take a genius to know it's blood.

 

A lot of blood. Someone must have been bitten there, he thinks, and he grimaces at the horrific reality of his thoughts- someone  _ ate _ someone else’s flesh right there and now they’re a walking corpse.

 

Liam slacks down as they near it, “Yeah I’ll stop here,” he says pulling up next to an empty pump. Mason makes a move for the door handle but Liam’s hand is on his arm before he can open it, “Take your gun... And be careful. Whoever died here could still be around.”

 

Mason smiles “I'll be careful. You too.”

 

Liam narrows his eyes because there is something different in the way his friend looks at him, it’s not just gratitude for Liam's concern or nerves acting up, it’s something in the way Mason’s eyes soften when Liam speaks to him and he can’t place it.

 

“Watch my back?” Mason asks as Liam’s staring at him, nodidng slowly, and then they find themselves in a moment just staring - way too long - and their lips part slowly, beginning to say something, but they startle apart when a crow squawks above them on the overhead canopy. Their heads jerk toward it, heartbeats racing.

 

“Well… that’s not creepy at all, huh.” Mason takes a deep breath before opening the door and stepping out. They never thought such a simple task could be as fear inducing as it is. It's ridiculous that they have to be wary of every dark corner and every closed door, but this is their reality now. It’s fear or death and judging by what death looks like these days… they’ll rather be scared.

 

Mason disappears from sight as he makes his way to the back of the gas station where the toilets are and Liam gets out too to keep watch. He eyes the painfully quiet shop, its paint is dry and peeling, door hanging off the hinges. Long grass and weeds grow from the foundation of the building and a window screen flaps annoyingly back and forth in the light breeze.

 

Liam thinks it's probably been abandoned a while ago because the deterioration is too severe to have happened in only two months. He keeps his hearing focussed, listens to Mason click the door open, it creaks, and he takes a step back before kicking it open further. Liam hears nothing more after that except Mason’s footsteps that enter the toilet and his zip being pulled down.

 

Liam walks to the back of the car, the same direction Mason went, to get them each a bottle of water. He fiddles around in the duffle bag searching for the bottles when the wind sweeps a rancid smell up his nose and he winces instantly. His brain still tries to register the smell, vague but familiar all at once, when Mason’s voice assaults his ears.

 

“Liam!! Car!!  _ Now _ !!” Mason comes barreling around the corner, gun clasped under one arm and the other is still pulling his pants up, he’s screaming and Liam doesn’t know why until massive guy comes into view behind him and then Liam understands.

 

“Fuck!!” Liam freezes. The guy’s face is bloody, and as he stumbles over his own feet, deep red almost black liquid spills from his mouth like a waterfall, eyes milky and vacant and his jaw hangs open gastly, he groans as his huge feet bring him closer to the boys.

 

He’s too close and Liam can’t reach his gun from where he’s standing - scolds himself for not keeping it on his person - so he grabs the first thing he puts his hands on from the boot of the car and hurls it at the man with every ounce of wolf strength he has, feels his claws pierce into the hard plastic. It sends the zombie staggering back a few steps, and he swats away the liquid that spills from the container, giving Liam enough time to grab the shotgun. Mason ducks out of the way and readies his gun too but Liam fires before he does. The bullet hits the walker’s chest, and he combusts into flames.

 

The two wolves share a horrified look of surprise as Liam lowers his gun slowly, “Mason…” he blinks, lost for words, breathing fast. “That’s not supposed to happen is it? They don’t just combust, they’re not supposed to…”

 

Mason grabs his hand, pulls him around the back of the SUV while the giant zombie swings his arms haphazardly and writhes his body around as the flames eat him up. Liam stares at Mason blankly, his eyes wide, he can see his friends face, he can see Mason talking but he can’t hear the words. His ears ring from the gunshot and his shoulder aches from the recoil of the gun. But that’s not it, it’s like a little switch flipped off, trying to block out what just happened,  “I shot someone.”

 

“ _ Something _ , Liam, he was dead already.... Liam?!” Mason yells shaking Liam by the shoulders while peering around the car- the zombie’s getting closer and closer, “We need to  _ go _ ! Liam, get in the car! Come on!” Mason pushes him to the driver’s seat and takes the keys, prodding Liam until he scoots over to the passenger side.

 

He takes Liam’s shotgun from his hands and places it down between them, beside his own, and starts up the truck. His hands tremble as he whips the SUV into gear and the tyres scream as the car leaves the garage and the burning man behind them. Mason speeds over something that thuds and cracks heavily against the undercarriage of the car, but he keeps going - they just need to get the hell out.

 

Liam stares into the side mirror watching the man drop to his knees and then flat on his stomach, it doesn’t look normal, doesn’t look right. People don’t fall like that.

 

Liam watches even when there’s nothing in the reflection but the passing scenery.  _ I’m not breathing. Liam breath. You need to take a breath. Breathe. _ He tells himself. Then, there’s a gentle hand on his thigh, a voice calls out to him but it’s muffled and distant. He turns his head slowly toward the sound, suddenly inhaling again when he sees Mason’s face. He’s concerned, properly alarmed at Liam’s reaction to this whole thing.

 

“Hey, hey, I need you back here okay? Are you okay?” Mason asks, brown eyes wide and frowning. What they just saw is by no means anything anyone should ever witness. What they did… Liam shudders at the thought, burning flesh still stinging his nostrils. 

 

“Liam, listen, I need you to listen to me.” Mason looks between the beta and long open stretch of road before them, “You did nothing wrong okay? I would have done the same thing, so would Scott. So would anyone. It’s okay Liam.” He squeezes Liam’s thigh, and he places a hand over Mason’s, squeezing back but he says nothing. They stay like that and Liam falls asleep, his dreams tainted with dark shadows and bright red blood.

 

When Liam wakes, it’s pitch black outside, the stars being the only light. He can see Mason hunched over the steering wheel and it looks like he’s sleeping but the new wolf smells like panic and misery and stress.

 

“Mase?” he sits up and rubs his eyes, then he smells it - tears, salty and fresh, “Shit. Mase, what’s wrong?? Are you okay??” Mason looks up and turns his face to Liam, wet cheeks glistening in the dark.

 

“I fucked up. Bad. I fucked up so, so bad Li.” Mason says and his voice breaks. He bites down on his lip to stop it from trembling.

 

Liam shifts closer to him urgently, his hand running soothingly up and down Masons back, “No, no come on, it can’t be that bad?” He can feel Mason’s heart thud under his palm. It can’t be this bad right? Like, whatever it is, it can be fixed. They all overreact nowadays, the constant tension and worry makes everything feel like the end of the world. Liam takes a breath, “Just tell me what happened?”

 

“Liam, it  _ is _ that bad… when we left the gas station, I... I hit something…”

 

The blood in Liam’s veins run cold, freezes his body over and his hand stills on Mason’s back, “What?” he asks, but it’s only a whisper and he’s not sure Mason can even hear. His mind races, did they hit a person? An animal? He knows Mason has a soft spot for animals…

 

“I hit something and it…” he breaks off again gripping the wheel.

 

“Jesus Mason, what???”

 

“It must have punctured the gas tank or something because… It’s gone Li, we ran empty.”

 

“The… we what now?”

 

“The gas leaked out Liam, we’re stranded.” he sobs loudly, “I’m so sorry.”

 

“No, no there is canister in the back, Argent said there’s enough to get there and back, right?” Liam flips his door handle open and jumps out, rushing to the boot, “So we fix up the tank and use this to get to Nolan and make a plan once we’re there, right? Right??” Mason’s beside him.

 

“Liam…”

 

“Where is the… the can.. The canister with the gas, it’s in here? Did you-”

 

“Liam!!”

 

He turns around chest heaving and his face flushes because in the back of his mind he already knows….

 

“You threw it at the zombie Liam…”

 

Liam doesn’t know if he’s standing anymore because it feels like the floor dropped out from under him, his head’s spinning as he stares at Mason, expression unreadable except for a nervous twitch of his jaw. He blinks slowly then swallows.

 

“Liam I’m sorry…”

 

Despite his heart racing and his panic flaring up in the form of anger he smiles, in fact he laughs and he can’t stop, he is bellowing loudly holding his belly and even Mason can’t help but giggle as confused as he is, “Liam stop that!” he's cut short by another loud bark of laughter as Liam folds over and crashes into Mason, his body slack with hysterics.

 

Mason stumbles back holding Liam steady, surprised by his own strength and how effortless he holds Liam’s weight now that he is a werewolf. Liam’s clumsy body drags him down and they slump back against the car on the tar road in the middle of nowhere, their laughter dwindling to too wheezes as they try to gain their breath again.

 

“I really am sorry Li…”

 

Liam wipes his eyes, “We both fucked up, I think I fucked up marginally more than you did though.” He says with a shy smile.

 

“You tossed our only means of survival at a walking corpse and set him on fire. You win this round buddy.”

 

Liam snorts, “I’ll take it, but we’re gonna be fine. We have to be.” Mason sighs and rests his head on Liam’s shoulder, he sees the beads of sweat on Mason’s forehead and from the near proximity of their bodies can feel the tenseness of Mason’s muscles, recognizing it as restraint, “How’s that arm feeling?” Liam asks nodding down at the red-blotched bandage.

 

“Wanna find out?” Mason picks at the tucked in part of the material, Liam can hear his heart stutter in his chest. He knows the feeling. 

 

“Yeah, take it off, lets see.”

 

“Shouldn’t we rather until morning?” Liam knows Mason is trying to stall, making room for the worst to fester a while longer.

 

“I think you’re fine Mase, I can already see the change in you.” Liam reassures, and all he wants to do is take Mason’s hand in his and remove the bandage for him, but he keeps his hands folded in his lap until Mason nods and rolls off the last bit of the bandage.

 

Loud sighs of relief bellow from their chests and they don’t know whether to laugh or cry. The wound is healed and only a dark red blood stain is visible on his skin. Liam’s head thumps back hard against the metal of the SUV, 

 

“Welcome to the pack!!” Liam smiles giddley at the clear relief on Mason’s face. He’s a wolf now, a real werewolf. His best friend’s a werewolf just like him.

 

“Thought I was pack already?” 

 

“We just tell the humans that to spare their feelings.”  Liam teases and winks.

 

“Yeah okay. You know it’s probably a super bad idea to sit out in the open like this.”

 

“It’s a terrible idea, come on.” 

 

Mason gets up and helps Liam to his feet and the two wolves get back in the car, they resolve to make a plan in the morning to get to Nolan safely. Liam locks the doors and they both fall asleep fast, facing one another, and their matching deepening breaths slowly fog up the windows.

 

 


	3. RULE #22: Know your way out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Location: Bakersfield

It's not the sun and chirping birds that wakes Mason up like it does back home, this is something macabre and sick inducing. Mason’s body freezes as he tracks the sound, watching Liam’s still sleeping form beside him, the misty pink hues of early dawn glows against his pale skin.

 

Mason shift up slowly in his seat, careful not to make any sudden moves. The windows are still fogged up and he can’t see outside, and whatever is out there can’t see in, but the last thing he needs is Liam to wake with a start. He hears the sullen shuffle of feet, stepping not quite right, the ragged wet breathing that pushes out harshly from its lungs. It’s one of them, a walker, Mason can only place one set of dragging feet and it brings a certain amount of relief- he can take it down by himself.

 

He listens, his hearing immensely spiked compared to what it was before and it is slightly dizzying to be honest, the intensity of what he can hear is crazy. Every strained gurgle no matter how silent is crystal clear, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The zombie’s body drags along the side of the car, right next to where Mason sits- so close he can almost feel it were it not for the solid metal between them. He picks up his gun, waits for it to pass and clicks the door open quietly then drops his feet to the ground.

 

She circles the front of the car, her dirty beige clothes hanging in torn shreds from her rotting body, her skin isn’t even a natural colour anymore- offish yellow, blotched green in places and there’s blood smears up to her elbows. She has her back turned to Mason and he can’t see her face, not that he’d want to when he’s about to put a round through her skull.

 

Mason’s heel scrapes too hard on the tar and she flings herself around, shrieking. He reels back - she's misisng the the bottom part of her jaw and her tongue looks inhumanly long when she turns to face him. This one doesn’t launch forward, she prowls, head titling with amusement and the void milky eyes bore into Mason as he lifts the gun to face level. She would have been pretty had she still been alive, he thinks, but the tips of her long blonde hair is dyed crimson and the rest is matted and her face is hollow and she looks like a nightmare.

 

She shrieks again, and Mason retreats. He senses the moment before she lunges at him, and then he pulls the trigger. A loud clap resounds, deafening him for a moment and an explosion of blood erupts from where her head used to be. She falls flat on her back on the highway and a big blackish-red pool flows out from under her body.

 

“Mason!!??” Liam tumbles out of the SUV his face contorted with horror and fear, heart thundering in his chest.

 

“I’m fine! I’m fine!! She was outside, I just… I had to…”  Mason looks between Liam and the corpse, eyes blinking without answer.

 

“God, why didn’t you wake me up!!??”  Liam says making his way to the front of the vehicle stopping by her body.

 

 _Because you looked beautiful while you were sleeping,_ Mason thinks and reels his head back an inch, frowning, _what the hell_? But it’s not a lie- he hoped he could take care of the problem and get back in the car and look at Liam while he slept because he looked angelic in a way Mason had never noticed before, and no one would ever know if he stared at the sleeping wolf, no one would ever know if he ghosted his fingers along the sharp lines of Liam’s face imagining that he was really touching him. _When did this happen???_ Didn’t quite think of the actual gunshot waking Liam up.

 

“I’m sorry, it was just one, thought I could take her.”  

 

Liam rushes forward and pulls Mason into a hug, “You can’t _do_ that Mase!” he says with Mason still in his arms, “We’re a team, I need you. You can’t… what if you…”  He exhales loudly, “Don’t do that again okay.”

 

“I won’t, sorry.” Mason blushes at the embrace, he needs to stop this before it gets out of control and he does something he’ll regret. He pats Liam’s back, “I promise” and then Liam lets go.  

 

“What the fuck happened to her jaw?”  Liam hovers over the reeking corpse.

 

“Fuck I don’t know, disgusting.”

 

“You okay with shooting her and all?” Liam asks and Mason knows it’s because he did it himself a few hours ago and took it really hard. Liam’s soft, he’s gentle and caring and it must have ripped his heart apart. Technically they’re all dead, but the thought of doing that to another human being is overwhelming, even if your own survival depends on it.

 

“I’m fine,” he tries to make the smile look genuine, “I think it’s the Beast… there are parts of me that remembers… how it feels to kill, I hate it but it’s there. So, it’s not new.”

 

Liam nods, swinging a comforting arm around Mason’s shoulders as they head to the back of the truck for something to eat.

 

Liam digs around for two granola bars and a fresh bottle of water each and Mason joins him. They sit in the open boot of the SUV and Liam pulls out the map after quickly scanning the area for danger. It’s quiet and peaceful for now, only the odd bird chirping and the swishing of tall grass in the field beside them.

 

Liam reaches for his sunglasses and takes a sip of water, flips the map open, “Right so, this is where we’re at now” he points to their location on the map, “we drove for about two hours before we stopped at the gas station and I guess you drove for like an hour more before the gas cut out. Which means we have about three hours left right, if we drove?”

 

Mason’s not aware that Liam’s waiting for him to answer, he’s staring at Liam like it is the first time he’s seeing him, because he looks pretty tousled and sleepy still, and his lips looks so soft and a little wet from the water he’s drinking, and with the glasses on he looks so damn hot…

 

Liam chuckles beside him, looks at Mason with a strange blend of surprise and shyness, “What are you doing?!”

 

“Oh… I don’t… I don’t know. Sorry, what were you saying?” _You’re an idiot!_ He scolds himself before looking down at the map that Liam is holding with Scott’s red markings on it.

 

“We are basically three hours away from San Diego, if we were driving.”  Liam smiles and continues.

 

“Almost 90 when walking…” Mason finishes the sentence for him, rubbing behind his neck.

 

“Yeah. But it’s not that bad okay.”

 

“Not that bad?  Liam, there are literal _zombies_ running around and we'll walk for 4 days, at the least!”

 

“Well, they’re not _running_ …”

 

“Yet. They’re not running _yet_!”

 

“We don’t have a choice okay. Look, we just carry on down this highway, there should be a road that takes us through the farm areas, which I assume should be rather safe-ish ‘coz there weren’t many people to begin with, and then we jump onto the next big highway to LA. That should only be like 2 days tops, provided we walk as much as we can in a day. We can’t walk at night.”

 

Mason takes a bite of his granola bar. It’s a solid plan, he can’t fault it, “Right. Okay fine. Then I think we can go through Anaheim when we get there, through Disney, stick to the coast all the way to San Diego?”

 

“Yeah. That will be like a day or two. See not so bad?” Liam says, but he doesn’t sound too convinced.

 

It’s one hell of a way to walk and the truth is they have no clue where the zombies are more active and no place is safer than the other, but the highway has been quiet so far. Mason doesn’t answer. He jumps from the boot, tossing his granola paper away.

 

“Let’s get going then!”

 

They rummage through the backpacks and pull out the gun holsters that Argent packed for them, Each strapping on a vertical shoulder holster. Mason arms his with a Glock and Liam takes the Beretta.  They strap the ammo up to their shoulder slings and Mason slots a machete into his thigh strap while Liam takes the hunting knife.

 

Liam hands one of the machine guns, the M60, to Mason and hooks the auto Colt into the sling, then adjusts it and throws it around his body. Mason’s got his A-K strapped in when Liam’s done and hold the extra shotgun out to him.

 

Liam takes the bigger backpack filled with supplies and Mason carries the pack with the map, clothes and a few toiletries.

 

“We look so fucking bad ass dude! I wish we could take a picture of this man!” Liam slaps on a trucker cap and looks down at himself.

 

Mason laughs, Liam’s grinning at him full force and he has to look away so he doesn’t fall head over heel right there. But they look pretty badass, they look like proper apocalypse vigilantes.

 

They head down the long highway, their fingers never leaving the triggers, the other hand always on the gun in their hip holsters, eyes and ears focused at all times, even when there is no visible threat.

 

They’ve walked for a couple of miles before they hear the first gurgles and scrapes of uncoordinated heels on the ground, and the wind confirms the presence of zombies with a rotting stench, but it’s sharper than usual, strangely enough, and that’s morbidly concerning.

 

Mason goes to stand beside Liam in the middle of the road, guns drawn, scanning the area. There are two huge Silos in the distance and there’s abandoned farm equipment scattered across the field, it seems oddly out of place, even for an apocalypse-  like someone threw it across the field and left to tumble to a halt. But that’s not possible, Mason tells himself, that can never be possible because it would mean…

 

A skull crushing roar resounds through the air, rattling the windows of the abandoned cars as the sound echoes. “What in the...” Liam doesn’t have time to finish his question before they have to duck to avoid a piece of concrete the size of a Mini Cooper being hauled at them, “Holy fuck!!!”

 

It flies over their heads and crashes into an abandoned car, setting off its alarm. Mason’s stomach drops because anyone who has ever seen a Zombie movie or played a Zombie game, _knows_ what that means. The blaring alarm rings out into the silence around them and they freeze.

 

There’s another loud roar in response to the sound and Mason realises that whatever’s making the sound is _huge,_ massive.

 

They hear the walkers approach, the mangled breathing and ghastly groans of something that used to be like them, something that was human not so long ago. It’s enough to make their stomachs coil. The moans of the undead are once again cut out by an angry growl, loud huffing and then something breaking—steel?

 

“That doesn't sound right...that sounds like-”

 

“Me...”  Mason confirms, remembering the time he spent as the Beast.

 

“Yeah… Get both guns out. Now! Go go go!” Liam tries to pull out the Colt, but his claws and trembling fingers make it difficult.

 

Mason's cups Liam’s arms when he hears a frustrated growl rumble from his chest “Hey, it's gonna be fine Li, calm down. You can’t panic now okay? We need to focus or we’re gonna die. Look, we do this together. We don't hesitate. Just go for it. Just shoot. Okay??” That’s obviously easier said than done but he’s hoping Liam’s on board with it.

 

Liam nods, sucks in a deep breath. Mason smells the change in chemos, from anxious to as calm as he can manage, “Okay.”

 

“Okay.”

 

There’s a small herd approaching. Forty at the most, excluding the presumably large thing they still haven’t laid eyes on.

 

Mason still looks at Liam- his blue eyes look different in the harsh sun, dangerous and cold. His hands are still when he lifts the gun to his shoulder, Mason does the same. There’s something ridiculously attractive about his friend in that moment- with his snapback and the way he handles the gun. But it’s not the time for gay right now.

 

“Remember to count okay, and then listen for the click- 30 shots, reload.” Liam says, watching them stagger closer, “Watch your back, and mine. I’ll do the same.”

 

“Okay.” Mason nods fast, heart pumping with adrenaline, “Liam….” the beta looks at him, “Don’t die.”

 

“No one is dying.” Liam clips a round into a zombie. Perfect headshot. It drops on the spot, “But Mase… don’t die.”

 

The next thing they know a man comes hobbling out from behind the silos, except it's not a man, it’s a gigantic mess of muscle and veins and boils, unnatural and entirely too huge to be considered human. One hit from that thing will injure them pretty severely. It roars again, and charges toward them, they’re still faster, but it moves at an alarming rate for a zombie.

 

The two wolves retreat, firing at it as they run backward, and even though the shots from the machine guns take down most of the undead stumbling toward them, it does nothing to the big guy- he hardly even flinches.

 

“Fuck!!! It’s not going down Li!!”

 

Mason’s not sure why Liam’s looking around - there’s nothing but abandoned cars along the highway, literally no place to hide. No doors marked Safe House, no ladders that zombies can’t climb. They’re screwed… Then Liam’s head jerks back to the row of abandoned cars and he yells, “The cars Mason!!! Shoot the cars, shoot the gas tanks!!!”  and he reloads, checking their backs. It’s clear.

 

Mason has never been so relieved in his life, he aims and fires a round into a nearby car just as the herd rounds it, yanking Liam back a few steps before loud fire erupts from the vehicle. Bodies and blood and other things they don’t care to identify blows into the air and they duck down, missing most of it.

 

“Intense….” Mason whispers, watching the scene, the flames still roar and it looks like a victory for all of two seconds but then another throng of zombies stumble out before and that’s not the worst by any measure - the giant ball of muscle groans again and emerges through billows of smog.

 

“Motherfucker!” Liam’s stumbling to his feet, pulling Mason up.

 

Mason’s freaking, not sure his legs will make it, they feel like collapsing under him. It’s all too close. Too fast. And they’ve got nowhere to go. “Run! Just run!!” Liam shouts.

 

They bolt back in the direction they came, making their way down the row of cars as Mason reloads his rifle. In passing, he glances back at an 18-wheel oil tanker, he looks twice at it and then at Liam, stopping in his tracks. He lets Liam run ahead without saying anything, and he turns back around. The giant zombie gets closer, knocking cars out of the way like they’re made of plastic.

 

Mason lifts his gun, and he feels his eyes burn, probably shifting, and he growls. He’s sure he looks pretty badass right now too. Then, he aims and just as the massive thing sides with the 18-wheeler, a few meters away, Mason pulls the A-K’s trigger.

 

The explosion takes everything down in a swallow of fire. It’s loud, and the impact is heavy.

 

Liam doesn’t know what hit them until it’s too late. He’s blown to his knees by the force of the explosion, hands scraping painfully against the tar as he hits the ground. All he knows is that Mason’s not by his side, and he smells blood. Faster than he can think he darts up, stomach twisting when he sees Mason lying on his back in the middle of the road. His feet are almost not fast enough and he tumbles down when he reaches him.

 

“Mase?? Mason!! Open your eyes! We said no being-the-hero you dick!!!” Liam yells, but he’s saying silent prayers of thanks when Mason’s eyes finally flutter open, “Its rule number fucking seventeen.” He feels Mason chuckle in his hold.

 

“Shut up… it was… a great plan.” Mason’s groans in whispers of pain, it doesn’t last long though. Liam slips his palm under Mason’s shirt, drawing out thick black veins of hurt.

 

Mason’s not wrong, there are corpses littered across the road, including the huge thing - whatever the hell he was - and the highway is now void of life except for them.

 

“I’d kick your ass right now if I didn’t like you so much!” Liam leans down, his chin resting on Mason’s head as he squeezes his smaller body tight.

 

“Was a fucking legend move though.” Liam whispers and grins as if no one was meant to hear. He feels Mason smiling against his chest.

 

So maybe they’ll be fine after all.

 


	4. RULE #29: The Buddy System

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Location: Bakersfield

“The turn off should be…” Liam stops and looks to his right, “over here.” there’s a narrow path hidden under shrubs and a rusty old gate, but it’s there, nevertheless. It’s a dry gravelly road and the two tire tracks down the middle has nearly filled up with grass from not being used as often anymore.

 

Liam looks at Mason, he can tell Mason’s hesitant too, they don’t know what’s lurking down this road or if it even leads to the right place. Liam sticks his hand out to Mason, waiting for him to take it. He smiles when he realizes he’s caught Mason off guard but blushes soon after when he takes his hand. It’s a tiring game- feeling so confident the one moment and then so vulnerable the next.

 

They don’t say anything, the grins on their faces kind of says it all. They purposely stare in the other direction with their hands clasped and cheeks flushed while they make their way down the dusty road which is supposed to lead to the Shire Farm, according to the map.

 

“So, this farmhouse is supposed to be... what?” Mason asks. Liam’s thankful that he breaks the silence, it was getting a little weird.

 

“Scott said it’s for supplies but I was thinking… the sun’s setting and since we weren’t supposed to be on foot, maybe we can sleep over, catch our breaths?”

 

“You want to sleep on an abandoned farm with zombies crawling around?”

 

“Not the farm itself dummy, the barn.”

 

Mason still looks at him like he’s lost his mind and like he’s about to run away. Liam snorts and looks back ahead, “Barns have a hayloft Mase, last time I checked zombies are too fucked to climb ladders.”

 

Mason’s mouth opens and closes in search of protest, but, he can’t falter the plan, “Smart.”

 

Liam smirks, puffs his chest out a little, “Hey! Wanna learn how to use your claws??” he says excitedly pulling Mason to the side of the road.

 

“Yeah sure! I mean why not?”

 

“Okay so like right now, you only shift when you get pissed or scared, but because the full moon’s still far away the wolf is kind of dormant, so you gotta wake it up.” Liam says, his own shift is much easier to control now and having Mason around helps.  Also, with half the population gone, there aren’t as many people pissing him off.

 

“No one ever told you to let sleeping dogs lie huh?” Mason’s got a cute playful look flitting across his face. Liam’s quite fond of that look.

 

Liam glares at him, so meek he can hardly call it that, “Do I ever listen?” he teases and brings his hand up, holding it out between the two of them.

 

“Point. Okay, so what now?” Mason’s frowning at Liam’s raised hand. That frown's cute too.

 

“So, focus on something that makes you angry.” Liam says, and he thinks of the time Gabe shot up the McCall house and his friends ended up in hospital… when _Mason_ ended up in hospital. There are more things he can think of but that alone does the trick. Always. He flicks is claws out with a sharp slice through the air and Mason jumps back. “Now you try!” he says enthusiastically.

 

Mason closes his eyes. Liam knows he’s never really gotten murderously angry, so he doesn’t have much to work with, they’ll have to take this from a different angle. Mason’s about to protest when Liam speak softly, “Or… think of something that uh… you know…”

he looks away shoving his hands in his back pocket.

 

Mason doesn’t know. He peeps through one eye, his brow raised as he waits for Liam to continue.

 

Liam clears his throat, “Something that uh, _turns you on._..” he mumbles the last part quickly, scratching at his head still not meeting Mason's gaze, “Has the same effect.” He adds and his cheeks turn bright red.

 

“Oh… okay, well that’s easy". Mason shuts his eyes again, and he doesn’t have to dig far for the memory.

 

_Liam had been working out in the driveway of the Geyer house, didn’t notice Mason arriving. He pulled off his sweat drenched shirt and tossed it aside, standing in only his really fucking short shorts. Mason hates those shorts for all the wrong reasons. Liam’s muscular thighs flexed as he got ready to attack the punching bag again, muscles rippling, hair wet and dark falling into his eyes._

 

Mason gasps, opens his eyes as the claws protrude - slower than Liam’s but they’re there  “Stings a little,” he breathes, watching the tips elongate.

 

It takes Liam a second to register that he needs to respond and not just stare, “Yeah, it’ll sting like that the first few times, almost like your body forms a callous eventually. Won’t always hurt.” Liam reaches for Mason’s hand without thinking, he rakes the sharp tips down his palm, watches in awe as they leave thin white lines in their wake.

 

“Liam… your eyes.” Mason curls his fingers around Liam’s hand. 

 

Liam realises he’s shifted, and he looks back at Mason only to be met with equally glowing ones. He stutters, mouth dry, “Fuck…” Mason’s shifted eyes are beautiful, just as beautiful as his human ones, and it feels like something should happen, something important and Liam opens his mouth and leans forward a fraction of an inch.

 

“Dude,” Mason says, diverting the situation and Liam’s kind of thankful because if he's going to try and kiss Mason, he doesn't want it to be here where they could get their heads chewed off by walkers - “remember that first night I saw you wolf out?” and the two walk again.

 

“Oh, shit yeah, I thought you were gonna run!” They laugh, both kicking tiny stones down the gravel road. There is nothing for miles, just grass and weeds and a setting sun on the horizon. They keep their ears focused though, hands resting on their guns, the other tightly tangled despite their sweaty palms.

 

Liam’s quite surprised that they haven’t encountered a single zombie since the highway. Liam looks out over the field of dead grass and he doesn’t need to see death to know it’s there- no one's done upkeep in a long time and the cow carcasses lie strewn across the farm as they approach it. It’s grim, it smells, and even if Liam tries to inhale Mason’s scent instead the stench of rot fills their sinuses and there is little they can do to escape it.

 

Mason turns to Liam, his eyes watery and nose running, “Li… this is bad… this is so bad.”

 

Liam stops and digs in the backpack on Mason’s shoulder, pulling out two bandanas. Liam says a silent prayer that the smell dissipates once they reach the barn. Before they even tie up the material Mason freezes and his hearts jump about five paces too fast.

 

He doesn’t see them at first, swaying out of the tall grass, coughing up a black ink-like liquid that smears into the dirt at his feet as he walks. The zombies get like this - the blood - once it’s rotten from the inside it turns black- a sign that the zombie has been that way for a while, that along with the presence of peeling flesh. Newer zombies gag up yellow bile.

 

“He doesn’t have arms…” Mason’s staring, jaw slack. He tugs on Liam’s sleeve and they retreat, treading with as much care as they can to not draw attention to them.

 

“He’s old… he looks like my grandpa…” Liam’s tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth, his throat refusing to swallow, “He… looks like…”

 

“Where are his fucking arms???”

 

“Mason! Shh!” Liam unclips harness strap and pulls out his Beretta. The zombie is already half gone, he’s sure it won’t take much but his hand trembles and his finger hovers haltingly over the trigger, “Mason...”  Liam realizes that no matter how many of them he kills off it’ll never get any easier.

 

From protecting everyone to ending a life, even if that life is hanging onto thin shreds of skin, it’s not something Liam will ever get used to. His breath hitches audibly and the rotting man flings his head to them, his eyes glazed over, he’s blind, and it’s clear he can only tell where they are, based on the sounds they make and the smell of their flesh. He’s pale, grey-haired, his clothes worn out and torn, and it doesn’t matter if he hurls toward them with a snapping jaw- all Liam sees in that moment is someone’s grandad.

 

Mason covers Liam’s hand with his own and pulls the trigger. The last thing Liam sees before the walker goes down, is his silver curls shimmering in the dim sunlight. It’s fast, headshot. They choose not to look when he hits the ground.

 

When they lower the gun, Liam sinks to the ground “I can’t… I can’t do this… It’s too much…” his hands shake uncontrollably, his entire body shivers. His anger seeps to the surface, replacing whatever emotion he feels. It always demands to be known, to be superior… and he hates it. For once he just wants to feel sad or scared or worried. Not angry. He lets out a long and helpless groan and punches the dirt road, like maybe the frustration will leave is body and enter whatever he hits instead. Not that it ever works. His voice breaks off in unrecognizable groans with each hit, it hurts and it’s embarrassing but he can’t get a grip on himself.

 

“Liam… hey listen, it’s okay! Please… I don’t…. Liam??” He stops hitting when he hears Mason’s voice. Liam knows he’s wolfed out in front of Mason again, feels the fangs stretch his gums. He doesn’t like hearing Mason sound scared, so he forces himself to retract the claws, not looking up. The cuts on his knuckles heal slowly, pushing out dirty blood and he focuses on that instead. “Liam? Look at me?”

 

Liam keeps his eyes on his hands. This is probably the worst part of an outburst and him not hurting anyone doesn’t make it any less embarrassing, any less traumatizing.  

 

Liam’s breathing is still ragged and harsh when Mason places his hands on either side of his face and lifts his head gently. Kind eyes stare back, soft eyes, and Liam knows Mason’s not judging him for what just happened. He just wants to make sure Liam is fine, “You okay?” Liam shakes his head and the tears fall.

 

“Of course not” Mason says softly, his thumb wiping away the tears. “It’s okay Li, you’re safe with me. I’m here.” Mason’s not just talking about being safe from zombies. He smiles at Liam like nothing ugly ever happened here, like his hands aren’t shaking and his lips aren’t bleeding where the fangs pierced through, “Come on.” He says while shrugging off his backpack. Liam looks confused for a second but then Mason hunches over, pats his back and tells Liam to hop on.

 

“No Mase, you don’t have to…”

 

Mason blinks a few times, “I want to, come on just let me… Let me help. Let me take care of you for once?” then traps his lip between his teeth like maybe he’s asking too much.

 

Liam nods and gets up wrapping his arms around Mason’s shoulders, “Okay fine!” and then he just melts into Mason’s body while he hoists him up. It feels so good, so light- he can fall asleep right there, he _wants_ to. His wolf has him nuzzling into Mason’s neck before he can stop himself, “Thank you Mase… You’re the greatest. Literally.”

 

“Yeah, I know,” Liam hears the smile, but he’s just too tired to look, and also, Mason smells unbelievably good right now and he doesn’t want to move his face away, instead he buries his nose deeper into Mason’s neck, until it’s pressed right against his artery. Mason tilts his head slightly, letting the wolf inhale his scent, taking as much as he needs to feel safe again. To feel grounded, “It’s what best friends are for right?”

 

The problem is Liam hears ‘friend’ but he doesn’t necessarily agree with the term anymore. Somewhere along the way, their friendship became more. More, in the way Mason looks at him and how he doesn’t want him to look away. More, in the gut wrenching fear Liam felt after the explosion earlier when he saw Mason lying helpless on the ground.

 

Liam adores the way his friend’s nose wrinkles when he laughs and how his eyes narrow when he’s about to be a smart mouth. And his eyes weren’t just brown… there are faint amber specks circling his pupil, and when he shifts, oh god... the amber parts glows too, and it’s like the sun setting over a cornfield.  And when he smiles… well, Liam crumbles hard. You don’t look at your friend and think these things, you don’t look at him and feel like grabbing his face to find out how soft his lips are. It’s beyond friendship at this point.

 

“What are you thinking about?? You smell like… like candy floss?” Mason tips his head to Liam, inhaling the air.

 

_Shit. Shit shit shit!_

“Uh, was thinking about candy floss, you’re getting good at this.” He wonders if Mason has tried listening to his heart yet, if he knows the difference between a lie and the truth. Probably not.

 

“Well, we’re here so get your heavy ass off.”

 

* * *

 

 

The inside of the barn seems untouched by the disaster of the world outside, all the hay squares are still stacked in a perfect formation against the wall, the tools and equipment stand eerily still in their places. The only form of life seems to be tiny dust particles floating around in the beams of light that stream through the thin cracks in the walls.

 

Liam secures the door by pushing a large mower in front. Mason checks for other entrances that could be a threat, and when it all checks out clear he follows Liam up the narrow drop ladder to the hayloft. “Looks like someone used to stay here.” Liam notes as he shakes out an old blanket, tossing it aside, the smells interfere with what he really wants to inhale.

 

Mason places their backpacks down, “There’s water!!” he turns a tap, “And it’s hot!!”

 

They take advantage of the hot water and clean up, Liam even goes as far as shaving. They crack open fresh toothbrushes and spend a good five minutes scrubbing away, Liam stares at Mason and Mason stares back. It’s insane.

 

They eventually strip off all their dirty clothes, toss it aside and Liam digs around for clean ones. Eyes wander and cheeks blush and smiles that aren’t supposed to appear, do. At one point Liam wets his hair under the faucet and throws it back, and that’s when Mason’s heart flips in his chest and Liam’s head jerks to him.

 

“What’s wrong??” he looks between Mason’s eyes and his chest, eyes flicking fast, frowning.

 

The red on Mason’s cheeks deepen, he’s stuttering not sure where to look and then blurts out, “I… nothing. Uh… Can you teach me?”

 

Liam knows he’s lying, his heart did it again, beating with a telling little tumble. He frowns, lips pulling into a smile, “To wash your hair?”

 

“What? No… you ass. To read heartbeats! I mean I’m sure I’ll just master it after like, one try, but… teach me?”

 

“Oh really, one try?” Liam laughs and slips on the grey sweats and fresh white t-shirt, passing the black and navy set to Mason, “Let’s play a game then. If you’re so good at it, it should be easy.”

 

“I’m gonna kiss your ass!”

 

Liam stares, mouth opening with a comeback but he’s blank, blinking like Scott does when he's surprised and his brain short circuits.

 

“Kick!! Kick your ass. God. Kick.” The blush is almost hidden in the dim moonlight. Almost.

 

“Either way.” Liam dares, biting his lip. They settle down on the hay, facing one another.

 

“Look, all you need to do is listen properly, it’s easier now because it’s quiet. A heart normally sounds like this,” Liam takes Mason’s hand and places it over his heart, tapping the back of his hand- one-two… one-two.

 

Mason nods, swallowing hard. His fingers twitch on Liam’s chest.

 

“When someone lies, it goes like this…” Liam taps again, one-two-two, “but the second beat is really fast because it’s not supposed to be there, so it hurries.”

 

“Okay…” it's almost a whisper…

 

Liam brings his hand back down. He can’t breathe, not even a little, tries to remember how to speak with Mason’s eyes on his chest like this, “So, I’ll start. Tell me if I’m lying. Only rule is you _have_ to answer.”

 

“Wait, I can’t hear!” Mason shifts closer until his knees press against Liam’s, warm where they touch, his hands bordering his own lap and Liam’s, “Okay go.”

 

He’ll start with the obvious, “You’re my best friend.”

 

Mason smiles, wide and quick, “True!”

 

“Yeah,” he smiles too, “good.”

 

“This is the worst road trip I’ve ever been on and I wish never came. I’m having an awful time.”

 

Mason snorts, head dipping as he laughs, “Lies.” But then, when he realizes what it means, his head jerks back up. Liam speaks before he can.

 

“You are the one who makes me feel human when I act like a monster.” Liam’s smile is smaller now, returned with a soft one from Mason when he whispers “True.”

 

Liam’s hands ghost over Mason’s, fingers slotting together, “You’re my anchor.”

 

Mason hesitates but says what he hears, “True?”

 

“True.” Liam confirms with a nod and a whisper and Mason looks down, blushing, heart racing 100mph.

 

“I love your smile, it’s beautiful.” _200mph._

 

“Liam…”

 

“I really want to kiss you….”

 

 _Speed limit exceeded_. Mason exhales, expression faltering incredulously, but he has to answer. It’s the rules.

 

“True…” only a breath, only Liam can hear.

 

Their eyes lock and there are seconds of hesitation when neither move but when Liam leans forward, so does Mason until their lips touch and then Mason brings his hands up behind Liam’s neck, pulls him in, and then it’s fireworks and shooting stars and trumpets just like in the movies. Soft and wet and gentle.

 

Liam leans in a little closer, wraps his arms around Mason’s waist and Mason makes a needy and faint sound that has Liam kissing him even harder, tongues stroke together and their hands wanders. Mason pulls Liam down on top him and they settle back in the hay, breaking the kiss.

 

“Is this okay? I mean I don’t want to…”

 

“Liam… I’ve literally been daydreaming about kissing you since before we left. So please, keep fucking doing it!”

 

Liam smiles and surges into him again. He can’t stop, it feels amazing, Mason’s lips are so soft and full and Liam’s mind is going place…. the loud thump against the door followed by groans and gurgles is not one of those places.

 

 

“Shit…” Liam pushes off Mason, reaching for the shotgun, Mason scampers up too and collects his rifle. It sounds like a heavy body slamming into the door, over and over, wheezing and sputtering.

 

“It’s gonna split Li,” Mason’s, gauging the crack in the door, it splinters with every hit and won't last much longer, “we need to do something. Fast.”

 

“Fuck! Pass me the auto.” Liam holds out his hand, places the shotgun back down. He can’t see the thing and he supposes that’s why it’s easier this time to put a bullet through it. He aims, as precisely as he can, and brushes the trigger. Two rounds spill and he hears them hit the zombie, but he’s still going. Not a headshot.

 

Mason tells him to move over to the side and from there he can see it clearly. Too clearly. Along with an approaching herd, he tallies six... not counting the one at the door. Liam clips another round, this time into the back of the man’s head, and it drops.

 

Liam sucks in a deep breath. They’re safe up there, in the hayloft, but in this instance safe also means trapped and if they don’t get rid of the small crowd of undead, they’ll attract more with their nightmarish noises. He _has_ to do this, there’s no choice, and he realises he can’t have a breakdown whenever he needs to kill one. So, he puts on his big boy pants, and exhales. Mason squeezes his shoulder, and some courage seeps into his body as he readies the rifle.

 

He takes them out on autopilot, counting them down as he goes, and it’s a little funny - he kind of has to chase them around on bended knees in the small loft because they don't stay still and he’s no sniper.

 

So by the time last one circles back around, he is in stitches and Mason’s not doing much better, actual tears.

 

“Here, here, she’s coming this way around.” Mason scurries to the side window and Liam follows.

 

“She made a u-turn!?” Liam mumbles, annoyed, and Mason snorts. They huddle up close and flinch when the gun fires off. She falls with a soft thud into the long wet grass and they watch to make sure she’s not getting back up. She doesn’t.

 

“Five!” Liam exclaims and they smack their hands together. They can relax, no more blood drenched breaths and dragging feet. The air still reeks of rot though, but Liam has a plan for that. For now, though, they crack open fresh water, and Liam pulls out the big guns, “Twinkies!!”

 

Mason’s smile is bright and even in the shadowy moonlight it’s contagious. “Enjoy the little things!” Mason adds and when they stare at each other smiling in that moment, they both realise this kick-ass partnership had become something bigger and they’ve never wanted to survive more than they do now.

 

 It's late and dark and chilly when they settle into a hollow nest in the hay, side by side. Mason covers them with a sweatshirt and his hand comes up to Liam's face, “You’re a much better kisser than you are a sniper,” and he smiles softly.

 

“Yeah well, my target is pretty amazing.” Liam replies, pressing his lips to Mason’s again, letting out a light giggle.

 

They fall asleep easily, exhausted and comfortably tangled with one another. Their noses nuzzle into soft skin and all they smell is wolf and comfort. When dreams come, it’s not of the outside world, or dead people or rotting flesh or machine guns- instead they dream of easy golden eyes, warm hands and lips that taste like Twinkies.

 

 


	5. RULE #2 Double Tap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Location: L.A to Anaheim

 

Hazy orange rays pour into the barn and Liam screws his eyes shut against the light, little confused about where exactly he is until his eyes fall on Mason. He smiles at the soft sleepy breaths that pass his lips, the ones he kissed only a few hours ago. He smiles and can hardly wait to do it again if Mason will let him.

 

Reluctantly he gets up, careful not to wake Mason, and starts packing their things. As much as he wants to stay there one more day, just cuddle - and other things, maybe, hopefully – he knows they can’t. Each second they waste gets more and more dangerous for Nolan. Panic floods him for a second and Mason stirs, “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, go back to sleep. Just packing up.” Although he really wouldn’t mind Mason being awake so he can look at him. At that thought he realises that he’s pretty much gone on his best friend. His heart skips with possibilities and ideas and he can’t wait to get this fucking trip over with, haul Nolan out of there and…

 

And then it hits him… they’d have to walk back. His shoulders drop and he sighs audibly, shaky. Like, it’s obvious, logically he knew that’s the situation. It’s just that this trip is exhausting, and it’s hard enough keeping the two of them alive and his chest kind of constricts at the thought of having to keep two people alive when he just needed to care about one until now, and what if Nolan is hurt? Will they need to carry him all the fucking way?? They’ll die… all of them. They can’t even call for help - there are no phones or service or people alive to run the service. His claws pierce into his palms, fists balling hard, and he knows he’s breathing heavily.

 

“Liam?”

 

“We need to go. We gotta move, get to San Diego, get Nolan the fuck out… why the fuck is he even in San Diego??? Why couldn’t he stay in Beacon Hill like the rest of us??” Okay, so he knows what he sounds like - a lunatic - rambling, asking impossible questions with no real answers, because his anger simmers under the surface again and he needs to fucking do _something_ , right?? Right. So, leaving and saving Nolan is something and the sooner they do that the better. He lets the urgency take over, lets it control is actions rather than get angry… and he feels kind of triumphant for that, like maybe this anger thing won’t always be his default.

 

Mason seems confused with sleep but he doesn’t question anything, he packs up and they slip down the ladder, Liam helps him down. Before they reach the door, they listen – there is nothing but morning sounds and birds waking up.

 

Mason grips his wrist and spins him back around before he can push the mower away from the door, “What is up with you? You smell… like ash?” his brown eyes drop to Liam’s chest, concern wrinkling his forehead.

 

“I’m fine… I’m just, I feel like we need to get moving…”

 

“Not when you’re all over the place. You need to be focussed out there.” He dips down a bit to catch Liam’s eye and Liam becomes aware, for the first time, of the slight height difference between them and the thought stirs in his gut. His eyes veer from Mason’s and drops to his lips instead, “It’s a known fact that when you kiss someone you like, you refocus.”

 

Mason doesn’t have to listen to his heart this time to tell it’s utter bullshit, but he smiles anyway, hand coming up to Liam’s neck. Their lips hover in a smirk before they bring them together. This time they’re standing when they kiss and Liam must lean up a bit, he finds it utterly sexy.

 

They kiss until they’re almost tempted to sink down to the ground and take it further but they need to move, they _have_ to. Liam will never forgive himself if something happens to Nolan while he’s trying to get his dick wet. _God, who even says he wants to sleep with you, you little presumptuous shit._

 

Liam pulls away and Mason kind of chases his lips with closed eyes, whining faintly when Liam doesn’t come forward again. That’s not to say he’s not tempted, “I’d do this all day, I swear, but we need to keep moving.”

 

They’ll figure out the Nolan travelling situation once they get there. His heart still sinks thinking that they’ll have to walk all the way back.

 

They push the door open, it’s stuck because the dead zombie lays right front of it, with a few more shoves it budges and they stumble out onto fresh dew grass and early morning sun. Liam eyes the farmland because it's eerily quiet, he doesn’t like it one bit, but he excuses himself to go pee. Mason waits out front.

 

He clasps the handgun, finger on the trigger while he unzips. And he stands. And pees. And then there’s a rough, wet snarl. All his instincts kick in and he moves, not sure how or when he got his dick back in his pants but before he knows it he’s out front but his blood freezes in his veins.

 

He realises then he counted six walkers but only dropped five the night before. He didn’t double count. And here are the repercussions.

 

He’s got Mason pinned up against a wall, a buff fucker- probably Theo’s build, Derek’s height, can’t be much older than them but he looks spent. Flesh hanging, covered in blood, not recently turned but still strong as shit. Mason’s screaming and thrashing in his hold and the guy’s jaw snaps at Mason- so fucking close to his face, to his arm, one change in the angle and teeth will be hitting flesh.

 

Liam doesn’t hesitate this time, he fires. Not a headshot, but that wasn’t his plan, he just wants it off Mason. The plan succeeds, Mason drops to the ground and the zombie flings around, hardly flinching with each shot Liam pumps into his chest, neck, shoulders – anything but his head - the kickback is brutal and he’s shaking too much.

 

“Fuck!!!” he fumbles with the gun, trying to reload and he knows this is turning on him real fast. Liam walks, almost runs backward, but the zombie is fast and gains ground. It swings at Liam, takes him down with one blow. Theo doesn’t even hit that hard.

 

He sees white specks; everything spins. This asshole really packs a punch. He pulls the other gun, manages two more rounds, one in the chest another in his throat, before the zombie is on him. Liam’s got a firm hand around his throat keeping him at bay as he snaps his teeth ready to devour, fists keep swinging hitting Liam square in the jaw, then the nose, then the eye. Fast, unrelenting, manic. Liam doesn’t get a chance to do anything.

 

Blood fills his mouth and he can’t keep his eyes open. All this feels oddly familiar and when his eyes flutter shut, he sees Gabe’s face, beating the shit out of him. “Liam!!!” Mason screams just like he did that day.

 

And that’s the good thing about zombies- they’re easily distracted. So, when Liam’s arm goes slack around the gurgling throat and he begins to lose consciousness, Mason calls for him again, closer this time and the fucker flings his head around– straight into the rusty pitchfork Mason’s holding. Headshot. _Kind of._

 

He drops like a dead weight off Liam, there’s a crushing sound when he hits the ground, possibly the pitchfork pushing through. Liam gags and rolls on his side, spits out gobs of blood and coughs.

 

“Liam! You okay?? Did he… are you… did he bite you??”

 

Mason helps him up and digs around for some fresh water to get clean with and for Liam to rinse his mouth, “No… No I’m clean.” He’s sure because when you're under attack like that, it’s the only thing on your mind - _did I get bit, did teeth hit flesh at any point_ \- but then his blue eyes shoot up, “You??”. Mason shakes his head, “I’m fine… thanks to you.”

 

“Save for a save, huh? Jesus, I should have done a double count. I fucking missed one. ”

 

“Just like the game.” Mason rolls his eyes playfully and smiles, it’s a nervous smile and he looks horrified and he’s shaking, but he’s smiling at least, and he’s not dead or bitten so Liam will take it.

 

“Let’s get the fuck out of dodge.”

 

They exit said dodge lands otherwise unscathed and trek down what seems like a thousand winding gravel roads. There’s the odd lone zombie or a small cluster that they either manage to sneak passed or kill off pretty fast, no big herds. The lands were rather deserted before the outbreak and now even more so, so Liam’s not too worried with the lack of the undead in the area.  They’re relieved once they sight the highway heading to L.A in the distance, relieved that they’ve taken all the right turns and relieved that this hellish trip is almost behind them, the easy part anyway.

 

Once they get to the long strip of laid out tar that stretches on seemingly forever, the sun is setting, and the exhaustion sets in then and they seek out an abandoned car that seems relatively safe, checking the backseat - it’s a rule - and there’s nothing but a pleasant surprise. A duvet and pillow set, which, if they flatten the backseat, they can both fit on and under for the night. If Liam’s calculations are correct, they only have nine hours left to walk until they reach Anaheim, there they’ll cut through the Disney theme park, sleep over and get back on the road to San Diego in the morning. But for now, they cuddle up, bodies close, lips meeting briefly before they are both pulled into a deep sleep.

 

_____

 

Liam wakes Mason up with sleepy kisses, and his chest explodes with something incredibly warm when Mason blinks his long lashes open and smiles at Liam.

 

“I worked it out.” Liam’s sitting with the map splayed open on his lap, granola bar and water in hand, “There’s about nine hours to Disney. Not too bad. And if we stick to the beach, we won’t even run into walkers because they don’t go there…”

 

Mason yawns, “How do you know they don’t go to the beach? Maybe they like to surf and take their zombie dogs for a walk? Catch some fombies.”

 

“Fombies?”

 

“Fish zombies.” He blinks dazedly.

 

It has Liam snorting, and he leans down and kisses Mason, surprised at how natural it feels to do, “No, you dork, the salt water burns them… you know, the uh, rotting flesh and whatever, even the air too. Deaton said they hate it.”

 

Mason’s got that look on his face again like he did about the hayloft, lips tilted into an impressed grin and his eyes flick up and down Liam’s body and then he frowns, “Why are you half naked?”

 

Liam looks down at his bare chest and shrugs, “Was busy washing up and I had this plan. Forgot about the shirt.”

 

Mason nods like he doesn’t really believe a word the wolf is saying, “You should totally have these plans more often.” Liam flushes bright red at that and tries not to choke on his granola bar.

 

 

Nine hours go by really fast when you’re holding hands and being cute, Liam realizes, and before they know it they see the big wheel with Mickey’s face on it in the skyline. The trip was, as suspected, pretty uneventful and the beaches are clear like Liam said. But dread fills their guts as they extend their wolf hearing to the theme park. It’s just groans and sickening wet noises. Makes Liam want to turn and run away holding Mason’s hand as tight as he can. But, there is a boy’s life on the line here, and their pack doesn’t leave anyone behind, so they soldier on.

 

Liam’s got his rifle drawn when they approach the gates, in fact, they’ve geared up, got a shotgun and a handgun each, raised. Everything’s been loaded and cocked back. The belt clips for the knives are undone, so it’s ready if they need it.

 

 

There is a massive herd gathered around a stall, bumping aimlessly into it and each other, over and over, and Liam can’t help but chuckle at how fucking stupid they look. Mason glares at him because it’s not the time for jokes. It seems for a moment that they’ll be able to get by them without even being noticed.

 

Liam points to the row of apartments above the restaurant, thankful that Mason gets the hint. So, the plan’s simple- Get to the apartments unnoticed, have a shower and kiss Mason again. It’s easy. Fuck it’s so easy. Too easy.

 

Liam sees it before it happens but he can’t do anything to warn Mason without attracting the herd, he waves and starts moving toward Mason but it’s too late. The other wolf takes his next step and in the process, kicks a tin can across the park. The sound rattles their ears, it’s so loud, and everything freezes until the clattering comes to a halt.

 

The man at the back of the herd swings around first when Mason sucks in a deep breath. The wolves freeze for a second watching head after head whip around to stare at them with sunken eyes.  This is what death looks like, Liam’s sure of it, they’re going to die right here and no one will ever know. No one will find them because they weren’t supposed to be there. Kind of feels like he’s died already.

 

There’s a tug on his arm, Mason is screaming, “Liam!!!! What are you doing!! Let’s go!!!”  Liam just stares, he’s looking at the herd coming at them, they’re fast…. They're not supposed to be so fast? Are they? Were they always? He needs to move, he needs to protect Mason, but he’s motionless, just being dragged along. He hears Mason yell “shoot!” but he’s out of it, his body, or his mind - he’s not sure which - has given up. It’s seized.

 

“Fuck!!”

 

The herd gets closer as he’s being dragged away, he hears gunshots - Mason’s M60 going off and rippling through the air, cracking into a skull, maybe six. For a moment there’s silence and then a voice cuts through it, high and desperate and scared.

 

“Liam! Liam, come on! Don't leave me here! Please. Not now Li, we’ve come this far and we’re still alive…. Please!”  

 

With that his hand reaches for his Beretta, brain still frozen but instinct takes over and he fires. Headshots. Multiple. Then as the gun kicks, something in him snaps back and he jerks his arm free from Mason’s hold and aims his rifle and Mason breathes out a “thank God” and follows suit.

 

“The knees! Aim for the knees!” Liam yells as they fire rounds into the encroaching herd, “Too many! Just drop them so we can get away!” The plan works, the sheer force of a rifle to a knee cap drops them, the front line at least, and causes the rest to trip over them. It buys them some time to get closer to the apartments.

 

They smile at each other, the plan’s working, they’re gaining ground, “Hey! I’m sorry I freaked out!” Liam shouts while shooting perfectly aimed shots into the herd.

 

“It’s fine! You good now?” Mason elbows one that gets too close.

 

“I’m fine!” They’re running, thighs burning and breaths getting short when finally, the complex gate comes into sight, “Mase! Don’t waste bullets! Shoot the hotdog stall!!!” Liam’s reloading the AK, checking Mason’s back.

 

Mason clips two more in the skull, “What??”

 

“The gas canisters! Shoot the hotdog stall!! Like the cars!” Liam smiles, belly goes warm when Mason looks at him like he’s some kind of saviour and grins back wide. He fires off and…. Nothing.

 

 

“Liam??”

 

“Double tap!!!”

 

Mason fires again in two quick concessions and this time the explosion is instant- takes them all out.

 

They stand there out of breath, panting, covered in sprays of blood as silence replaces the gurgles of flooded lungs. They’re all dead… _properly_ dead now.

 

“Gross…” Liam shakes his hand off and whatever clung to him splatters onto the pavement. He’s glaring at it in disgust when he hears Mason’s silent curse. One of those low ones that makes your blood run cold and your back tingle, and Liam looks up, “ _Oh shit_ …”

 

Mickey Mouse comes stumbling toward them. His big head covered in blood and there’s a huge gaping bloody hole in his gut, insides protruding. Liam looks between him and Mason anxiously. He recalls the time they were at a funfair as kids as one of the suited characters came up to them - he’d never seen a human move that fast – little Mason screamed at the top of his lungs while bolting in the opposite direction. He’s terrified of anything like that, he’d told Liam it’s unnatural and wrong and straight from hell, at the time they giggled about it but this is pretty real.

 

Mason’s heart slams against his ribcage and he’s sweating.

 

“Hey, come on, he’s slow, we can get away,” Mickey heaves and then chokes on fluid... Liam slips his palm into the other wolf’s, feels him shaking and hears him swallow hard, “Liam… it’s… it’s so fucking ugly…” he gags.

 

“Mase, I don’t think I can take Mickey down, sure there’s some law about it…. Let’s just go.” Liam’s hand is gentle on his arm, “He can’t really see, and he’s slow. We can make it okay? Just breathe.”

 

Thankfully Mason lets Liam pull him away to safety, but he keeps looking back, staring at Mickey over his shoulder, “Mase! Stop looking buddy, stop looking.” Liam slings an arm around his shoulder, forcing his face back around. He can’t help but want to giggle a little at the traumatized look on Mason’s face.

 

“You got your guns? Liam asks as a diversion, squeezing his shoulder and Mason nods, “Good. You did good. You saved us.”

 

“Yeah because you’re really smart dude… like gas canisters? How do you even think of these things?”

 

“It’s not smart. It’s just surviving.”

 

They head for the gates to the apartments, Liam’s hoping they can find some food in there and that the taps still work, he’ll kill for a hot shower… a comfy bed, maybe a warm pair of arms to hold him. There are still zombies staggering around, most of them missing vital parts of themselves and it’s honestly easier not to look at all, even for safety purposes, so they move carefully and vigilantly but fast across the lot.

 

Liam sighs when they get to the gates and there’s a huge padlock securing it. Good news is that there probably aren’t any zombies inside which will afford them a peaceful night at least. The bad news? Well, they need to shoot the fucking lock off attracting a possible herd- it’s too strong to rip off. They’ve seen enough shit for one day, Liam knows this, but safety comes first so he raises his gun.

 

Mason covers his back while Liam aims the shotgun at the lock, standing a good distance away- last thing they need now is shrapnel that causes infections. He’s kind of pissed at Argent for not placing silencers on these guns… but then again, they were never meant to be on foot like this.

 

Liam fires off before the thoughts get too much to bear again and he flips out. The sound is cracking and deafening, metal on metal, and it takes their sensitive ears a while to adjust afterwards.

 

“Come on,” Liam’s got Mason by the elbow, ushering him inside. Mason does a quick scan of their new surroundings, “It’s clear, come this way.” He waits for Liam to re-secure the barricade, turns to him just as an overweight rotting woman hurls herself at the gate, “Jesus!!! Liam!!!”

 

She’s got Liam by the collar and is somehow pulling him closer, his gun is at an odd angle, pressed to the gate and he can't get it aimed at her. Her bloody oozing jaws snap at him, pushing the gate open the more they struggle.

 

“Mason!! Shoot…”

 

There’s a loud clap snipping Liam’s sentence, the unmistakable echo of a Glock and then blood splatter. It's on Liam and the pavement and the gate and…

 

The woman drops, so does Liam, “Are you bit???” Mason yells as he sinks down next to Liam, grabbing his arms to start checking for bite marks, “N-no... I’m fine she didn’t… I’m fine. I’m fine.” he feels like maybe confirming it over and over will make it be true. None of this is fine. That’s not meant to happen to people. Liam freezes again, just stares out in front of him, arms limp as Mason searches for injury.

 

“Li… hey buddy… you okay?” he’s wiping some blood from under Liam’s eye. He’s gentle and speaks softly, “Can you look at me?” he smiles softly when Liam looks up, “I’m sorry, you had to be so close, I didn’t have a choice, I’m sorry…”

 

Liam shakes his head, “It’s fine… not you… you saved me. Again.” He swallows, and it’s almost painful, “Thank you.”

 

“Can you move?”

 

Liam nods, takes Mason’s hand.

 

“Come on,” Mason helps him up, “We can go through here.” he leads them down a small path lined with the remains of what once were flowers. _At least it’s not corpses_ , Liam thinks.

 

“Hey, listen buddy, when we get back to Beacon Hills….” He notes how Mason says ‘when’ and not ‘if’. He has hope, more than Liam, and it lifts a small weight off his shoulders. Liam looks at him and he smiles, “When we get back, we’re gonna have a talk with Miss Morell okay? We gonna get our heads clear and deal with all the shit we’ve seen, because it’s not normal. Okay?”

 

Liam nods, probably doesn't look like it makes him feel any better - he did just see a woman’s head get blown off in HD - but he does feel better knowing Mason understands. He’s probably seen the way Liam taps out a little after each kill. You get told your whole life killing is bad, and then… you kind of have to do it to survive. It’s messed up, it undoes your head. “Will you be okay until then? Do you need anything?”

 

Liam isn’t very far from hysterics but he’s not dancing on the cusp either. He can fight a little more if it means keeping Mason alive and saving Nolan’s life, “Yep, I’m good. Just... don’t leave me okay?”

 

“I won’t. Ever”

 

They reach the hotel doors and there’s another padlock. This time, there aren't any zombies aside from the ones lulling at the fence, and the chain is much thinner so Liam pops it off with the butt of the shotgun and some brute wolf strength.

 

Once inside they pass a large dining area and decide to scavenge for something to eat. There are plates of food now covered in mold and stale beverages on each of the large round tables, flies zoom around it - and that’s about the only noise. No gurgling, no rasps, just buzzing flies. A clear sign that the place was just evacuated and shut down when the outbreak hit.

 

“Holy…”

 

For a second Liam freezes, body running cold, but when he turns Mason holds up a decent sized box of Hostess Twinkies.

 

“Someone should tell Tallahassee!!” Mason beams, brown eyes glittering and alive.

 

His smile is infectious and Liam catches it, “We are so keeping that! Check the expiry date.”

 

“We have six months,” Mason clamps the box under his arm and keeps searching.

 

“Reckon we’d be able to finish it in six months?” Liam’s checking the supply closet, fucks around with a pair of yellow rubber gloves.

 

“Dude come on,” Mason looks half exhaustedly at Liam, “Stop that. Get the food.” He smiles though and Liam tosses the gloves aside, mumbles something about it maybe being useful, “And yeah, we’d probably inhale it in six minutes.”

 

They continue to find a litre of Coke, Reeces, salty chips to counter all the sugar - they also agree that will be their last grown up decision for the day. At least until they absolutely have to be responsible again.  

 

They pry open one of the doors to a suite on the first floor - too high for zombies to find them and low enough to still jump if they have to. They barricade it again from the inside just to be safe, a large chair does the trick.

 

“Holy shit, it’s fancy!” Mason looks around the lush open plan suite, “Not even the penthouse dude, look at this!” He’s standing in front of a large T.V, and it’s truly a pity that there’s no power, it would have been amazing to watch.

 

Liam sets down the candles he looted and lights them up. Mason’s moved onto the bathroom and there’s a happy howl coming from that direction, “That big huh?” Liam smiles, tosses the matches down to go take a look.

 

And it really is insane. The shower has no walls, jets coming from all angles, and there’s even a tiled bench in the corner - which has Liam’s mind wandering but he pushes that thought aside. They both watch in anticipation as Mason turns the tap, it stutters at first but then glorious crystal-clear streams of water spurt out. They squeal with joy, smiles bright and wide.

 

“And it’s hot dude!! It’s fucking hot!!” Mason pulls his hand out of the stream but doesn't dry it on the crisp white towels.

 

 

They’ve showered and cleaned up well and Liam’s on the bed, he’s packed out all the Twinkies, each one, and lined them up, already nibbling on one when Mason joins him, tossing the wet towel aside and crawling up next to Liam.

 

“Hi…” and his eyes twinkle as the looks up at Liam.

 

“Hey” Liam smiles and pulls him closer so Mason meet his lips. He keeps him in a long intimate kiss they haven’t been able to share for the last few hours. Liam’s hand strokes the side of his face, freshly shaven and soft under his fingertips Mason moans faintly, leans in for more.

 

Their kiss deepens, Mason’s hands are under his shirt now, rucking it up while he feels over every line of Liam’s chest. Liam pulls slightly, until he’s got Mason on top of him and he settles his legs on either side of Liam’s thighs, but they stay still, only kissing.

 

Liam angles his neck when Mason’s kiss wanders off and lingers on the soft skin of his throat instead, “What are you doing Mase…” Liam’s eyes fall shut with the warm lips in his neck, hands resting in the small of Mason’s back, he wants to touch more but he’s not sure.

 

“I want you…”

 

Liam growls and takes over the kiss, flips them over so Mason is under him, kissing harder and grinding his hips down and that makes them both moan out. “Mase….” he's breathless and nervous and stupidly turned on, but he needs to know they're both as on board with this as their bodies want them to be.

 

“Yes. Yes, I want this. All of this. Please.” Mason answers without having to hear Liam's question. He tips his head back exposing perfect rich umber skin of his throat, heart pounding so loud he can’t think.

 

“Don’t be nervous…” Liam says in response to Mason’s heart.

 

“Not nervous, I’m fucking excited dude!”

 

Liam laughs, he forgets sometimes that Mason is rather experienced having been with Corey for so long, and if anyone’s nervous it’s probably him.  Liam puts his forehead against Mason’s while he slips a hand down Mason’s pants, meeting naked skin, he hisses, lips searching for Mason’s and finding them, “You feel so good… big.” Liam whispers before he kisses him.

 

He strokes a few times then Mason murmurs, dazed, “We should probably get on with it… I don’t think I’ll last… just feels too good,” and he flushes furiously.

 

Liam smiles, rounds off the kiss and begins pushing Mason’s pants down, watching him dig around his backpack for something. When he pulls his hand out, he produces a sample size tube of lubrication. Liam smiles blindingly wide.

 

 

Liam stops, realising he never asked how Mason prefers to do this, “Uh, do you have any preferences? I mean do you rather wanna go on top, I don’t mind...”

 

 

“No… this is perfect.”

 

He nudges Mason’s legs open, hand shaking as he caresses the skin between his legs. “You know your way around?” Mason asks attentively, probably feeling Liam tremble on top of him.

 

“I uh, yeah, I do.” And he blushes, making Mason smile. With that Liam circles around his entrance and it throws off Mason’s easy expression as he bites down on his lips, legs trying to clench.

 

Liam spoils Mason’s neck with kisses and slow sucks while he presses in, slowly, carefully until he’s up to the second knuckle, “Fuck… you’re tight.” Liam’s stomach flips because if Mason feels like this around his finger, then….

 

“Thank you?”

 

They laugh even if they try not to. They were friends first and it will always be that way. Mason’s hand comes up to Liam’s face, and he looks at him endearingly, smiles softly, “You’re perfect.” He says and his eyes fall to Liam’s lips. Liam wants to tell him what his heart is screaming and what better time to do it than before you fuck someone but he’s nervous enough already and decide to shut up. “You too Mase… I’m so glad we… you know…”

 

“Got naked?”

 

“Kissed! I’m glad we kissed,” His fingers must have hit a spot because Mason’s arching off the bed suddenly, moaning into his mouth, “Oh fuck…” he realises he’s hit his prostate and Mason’s got him in a death grip, but Liam’s kind of fascinated by the sounds Mason’s making to he keeps doing it.

 

“Jesus… Liam.... fuck, don’t stop now please…”

 

Liam nearly kills over, he moans, “Jerk yourself.” then starts pumping his finger faster in and out of Mason. He adds another, spreading them apart on every inward thrust, pushing up. Then, Mason grips his neck and pulls him down, his body tenses and he grunts out, broken and loud against Liam’s lips as he comes.

 

Liam marvels in how limp Mason goes under him, how beautiful his rich dark skin looks covered in paints of white. Glowing. “Holy shit…”

 

Mason looks like he’s tapped out for a few seconds, it makes Liam smile fondly. Feels amazing to be responsible for that look on another boy’s face. He notices then that he’s leaking from watching Mason come, ruining his clean pants. He shrugs out of them quickly and ruts up naked against Mason’s leg, his shaft wet and heavy on warm skin.

 

“Shit,” Mason says when he gains clarity again, “didn’t mean to come so fast… sorry.”

 

“It’s fine,” Liam smiles and kisses him, waiting for his body to revitalise, still moving faintly against Mason for friction, “You can go again you know…”

 

Mason nods, reaches down and starts tugging Liam’s cock, “Yeah… can feel it.” Liam realises it must have been the same with Corey too.

 

“Do you… hmm… do want to?” Liam kind of stutters because Mason’s hand feels like heaven around his dick and he’s beginning to see stars.

 

“Definitely.” Mason says, looking more present than before, “I’m ready … doesn’t take much.” he looks a little shy at that.

 

“Fuck yes…”

 

Liam get on him, spreading his thighs with his own and Mason lets his dick go so Liam can lube himself up, he smears the residual onto Mason’s hole, then lines up. He pauses, looks down at Mason, “You sure?”

 

“More than anything.”

 

Liam starts to ease in, careful and slow. Mason doesn’t tense or squeeze back and it’s an easy glide in, Liam, however, is thrown off by the wet tightness around his dick and he starts panting, gasping for air when he bottoms out. Both of them to be honest.

 

“You’re thick Liam… fuck!”

 

“You okay? Does it hurt?”

 

“No, not at all, it’s just… new…” He looks at Liam then Liam’s hand curls behind his neck and he starts moving, whimpering when he does, luckily, he keeps his head and kisses Mason too- soft and slow.

 

Mason’s hands cup his ass, squeezing with each thrust, moaning. If his lips aren’t on Liam’s they’re sucking at a soft spot in his neck. Liam does the same for him, even manages to lick over his nipples once or twice while he’s thrusting – being short as its advantages sometimes.

 

Mason brings his legs up, changing the angle entirely and Liam sinks in even deeper. Mason takes it with a hiss, they both suck in a breath but Liam doesn’t stop, he speeds up and Mason wraps all of himself around the other wolf, whispers, “You’re amazing.”

 

It’s in that moment when both their worlds tip and crash together, Mason groans and comes, this time with Liam’s hand stroking him out, covering himself in white spills until it ripples down his abs and he falls flat, breathless.

 

Liam’s close behind him- he pulls out abruptly and sits up, holds onto Mason’s one knee while jerking with the other, emptying himself on Mason’s stomach, watching as droplets of his own come fall between Mason’s, indistinguishable.

 

 

Liam cages Mason in, leans down for a kiss while holding himself up with shaky arms, “That was… holy shit.” They chuckle because that’s probably the most accurate definition of what they just experienced.

 

“So uh, cuddle and Twinkies?”

 

“Cuddle and Twinkies!”

 

Later they’re snuggled up and surrounded by the food they scavenged.

 

“Okay so, say you lived alone in a cabin on a mountain and someone shows up unexpectedly one night, who would it be? And you can't say me.”  Mason asks and smiles, nestled cosily to Liam’s side, tracing the lines between Liam's abs.

 

Liam’s busy chewing on a piece of Twinkie, “Well I mean I'd rather share it with a spider than _not_ share it with you…”

 

“Gross! But yeah, that sounds like you.”

 

“No okay, probably Theo. Guy looks like he could survive on a mountain.”

 

“Well he did survive a zombie bite. Like, he fell around miserably for a few days but then he was fine.”

 

“He’d save my ass all the time, come waltzing in at just the right moment, keep me from dying all over myself.” Because Theo has a tendency of doing that. Liam smiles, he still misses the stupid chimera.

 

“Where? On the mountain or the apocalypse?”

 

Liam hums, “Both. Both is good.”

 

 

 


	6. RULE #4: Don't be a hero. Unless you need to be a hero. Then be a motherfucking hero!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please read carefully if you are sensitive to character death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Location: San Diego.
> 
> Happy Birthday Amanda dear! Hope your day is lovely!!!

They leave the next morning just as the sun begins to colour the sky pink. Liam works it out to be another thirty hours or so before they reach San Diego- before they get to Nolan. It’s a rather clear path from the theme park to the next highway, he guesses most of the zombies were attracted to the park and are now, well, blown to shit. Life in general is blown to shit, he thinks.

 

Mason’s walking up ahead and Liam jogs to catch up, slips his palm into Mason’s, “Hey…” he says slightly apprehensively. They haven’t really spoken about having sex the night before, or how either feel about it. Liam’s a little nervous to ask.

 

“Hi,” Mason smiles warm, his eyes search Liam’s face then drops to his chest where his heart skips breathlessly, “Something wrong?”

 

“No. I mean, I guess I just don’t want last night to change things between us you know,”

 

“You had your dick in me… I’m pretty sure things have changed between us Li.” He laughs when Liam’s face breaks out in a blush and he looks the other way. “But, I still want to be with you, like  _ that  _ and like friends. If that’s possible?”

 

“To be friends and boyfriends?”

 

Mason stops, tugs Liam back with him, “Boyfriends?”

 

Liam, realizing what he said, swallows and thinks. There is not a single other person he’d trust with his life like he does Mason. No one else comes through for him the way Mase does. No one else has kept him grounded when he felt like losing his shit… when he  _ did _ lose his shit. He’s loyal, smart, kind, and one hell of a kisser…

 

Liam leans in close, pressing his lips softly to Mason’s and Mason pulls him in. “If you wanna be? My boyfriend, I mean?”

 

“Totally.” Mason says, and he smiles.

 

* * *

 

Walking is good. Moving forward is good. Abandoned highways can go both ways– good, because nothing needs to be killed off so you make quick time. It’s terrible though, because if something does come, there’s nowhere to go. This particular highway, is void even of cars. There’s just… nothing. Zero. In the distance Liam can see a random dormant corpses amble along the trees, bugging the farm animals, but none are close by and it’s a relief as much as it’s a concern.

 

His stomach feels uneasy, wolf senses tingling while they walk and he finally understands why once they reach the height of a short but steep uphill. Both stop and duck behind the hill, cursing silently.

 

It’s a fleet of black SUV’s. Doors flung open. Doesn’t take Liam long to recognize the cars. “It’s an Argent fleet… the same one that came for us at the zoo.”

 

“Monroe?”

 

“And maybe Gerard, who knows.”

 

“Shit… what do you wanna do?”

 

Liam scopes the area. Going around them would mean wandering into the wooded area, most likely scattered with zombies. Going straight ahead is impossible to gauge because they don’t know what’s behind or inside the cars – it could be anything and it could be fast.

 

“Around or ahead? Pick one.”

 

“Ahead.” Mason says without blinking.

 

So, they’ve got their shotguns raised and they head down the hill slowly. “Smell that?” Liam asks when the winds turns in their direction.

 

“Zombies.” Mason confirms and Liam nods. They don’t see much but they hear the harsh breathing, the sullen grunts. Liam signals for Mason to round the other side while he circles the front.

 

He breathes out a sigh of relief when he sees the zombie. It’s half gone already, dangling from the seatbelt. Liam pulls a face – even with its head bashed in and barely conscious it’s still grabbing for him. Mason joins from the back.

 

“What happened?”

 

Shit happened. And judging by the amount of blood on the road it was a fucking carnage, “I think someone turned while they were driving,” Liam points to the shattered head imprint on the window, “Must have been sitting next to the driver and attacked.”

 

“They crashed.”

 

“Yup.”

 

“But four SUV’s?”

 

Liam shifts from foot to foot, cracks his neck, “It means some of them could still be…” And then he smells it… rancid acidic hatred,.

 

“Liam!”

 

Liam swings around using the momentum to fling the shotgun and it hits her full in the face, she staggers back, giving him time to readjust his position. He stands between Mason and Monroe, aiming the gun at her while she’s scrambling back to her feet. Mason lifts his rifle too, just for good measure, and aims it over Liam’s shoulder.

 

“She’s turned…” Mason whispers raggedly behind him, Liam hears the tremble in his voice. She’s recently turned, the guy too, this must have happened the day before if not later because her blood is still red and her skin isn't peeling or rotten. Her eyes are white and glossy though and she’s foaming yellow at the mouth, "She's a zombie."

 

“Really?” Liam shrugs, “You can hardly tell.” He bites back a smile. It’s not a laughing matter, it’s really not. They burst out laughing anyway, nudging each other to shut up.

 

Monroe launches at them, screeching, and simultaneously they pull the trigger. Double tap at its finest. Liam doesn’t look away either, not like he does with the rest of them he kills close range. His heart isn’t pumping sympathy for her, he doesn’t wonder if she’s someone’s mom or sister or daughter. She’s just a monster with teenage blood on her hands.

 

They watch her go down with the shots. Falling still in the middle of the road, the same yellow foam blurts from the wounds in her chest.

 

“You okay?” Mason asks immediately.

 

Liam nods, swallows, “Perfect.” And he lowers his gun.

 

This time he doesn’t space out, he goes straight into survival mode, “Mase, check the ignition, these things must still be loaded with fuel and we can most likely make it to San Diego!” He probably sounds overly hopeful but…

 

“It’s got a key!! Fuel’s still above half!”

 

“Fuck! Yes!!”

 

Mason stops and looks suddenly sombre, cocks his head to the zombie dangling from the seatbelt, “We've gotta put him down… we can’t leave…”

 

Liam gives a small nod, “Okay,” and takes his Beretta out. It’s an undoubtedly clear headshot from this angle. He inhales, then pulls the trigger, the clap echoes into the openness around them. This time he looks away.

 

* * *

 

Hunting your co-captain down in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, on foot, is essentially a lot more fun when you don’t stress about your new boyfriend being eaten around each corner. Liam works out the trip will only take them two hours by car instead of thirty walking, and that’s probably the best thing to happen all day.

 

Liam peeks over at Mason, he’s driving, hand out the window making waves in the wind, looks almost careless like this. Liam smiles, “You holding up okay? With the wolf stuff?” Liam feels guilty for not asking sooner.

 

Mason reaches over and takes Liam’s hand, places it on his thigh where he cups it with his own, “Yeah. I guess. Probably helps that the full moon is a few weeks away and that I’m generally a chill guy. Maybe a headache now and then, and I’m really hot…”

 

Liam squeezes his leg, “Yeah… I know.” He grins dumbly, then says “I like making you blush, it’s cute.” He reaches for another Twinkie, “I’ll help you, you know. With the wolf thing. When we get back, you said you’d help me get my head clear… I’ll help you too. When the moon hits, you’re gonna feel it, and I’ll be there,”

 

“You still have those chains?”

 

“Uh, no. I’m not tying you up to anything…”

 

Mason’s head snaps to him when he pauses. Like he knows where Liam’s mind went because his own mind followed so fast it gave him whiplash.

 

“Except maybe to my bed…”

 

“Jesus Liam!” he laughs, shakes his head and grins wide. 

 

_ Huh, not opposed to the idea. _ Liam can tell by the way his chemos mangle up into one big cloud of want, that Mason is as excited to get back to Beacon Hills, as much as Liam is.

 

* * *

 

Liam knows something’s amiss when they’re greeted with Nolan’s apartment door flung wide open. It’s never a good sign in any universe of an apocalypse. Liam’s nerves are frayed, and he’s tired and he’s praying to any god that’s listening that they just fucking make it out of here safely, he’ll carry Nolan all the way back but, fuck,  _ please _ just let him be safe.

 

They enter, guns raised. There’s blood smears on the wall nearest to the door, mimicking hand prints.  _ He’s fine. He’s just hiding. _

 

“Nolan?”

 

Mason calls for him quietly, they clear the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. There are clear signs of struggle, uneaten food strewn on the floor between broken glass scatterings. And more blood.  _ He’s fine. He probably made it out. _

 

“Didn’t he have a roommate?” Mason whispers, meeting Liam back in the hallway.

 

“Yeah, Daniel or something.”

 

They lower the weapons, “Both are gone, there’s no one…”  

 

There’s a dull thud suddenly, head against glass, and then muffled gargles. Their heads snap in the direction of the sound and the guns fly back up. They didn’t notice the balcony at first, a thick navy blue curtain hides it, one of those light blockers. They jump when the  thud resounds again.

 

Together they move to the large curtain.  _ It’s not him. It’s a bird or an animal… It’s not Nolan.  _ Mason uses the rifle to draw back the curtain. The grunting becomes more apparent and Liam’s breath disappears.

 

_ Nolan’s fine. Nolan left. It all got really bad, and he got out and he’s probably on the roof. That’s not Nolan. Nolan’s fine. God. Please. We should check the roof, he must be… _

 

Mason draws the curtain back.

 

“Fuck…”

 

Liam’s head tip to the side in pity and his heart shatters right there, “Noley…”

 

It’s only a ghost. Nolan was always pale, but now… now he’s just… blank. His forehead thumps against the glass again and again, in slow senseless repeats. Hollowed milky eyes stare back at them from the other side of the glass. It’s locked, Liam realises, the door is locked. Either Nolan put himself there or his roommate did. Judging by the crusted blood staining Nolan’s chin and neck, he’s guessing the roommate didn’t get far either.

 

“I’m so sorry Nols…” he lifts his hand to the glass and Nolan follows the movement, head jerking and jaw clattering softly.  Liam doubts it but he wonders if Nolan can understand him, if he can see them, “I should have… should have…”

 

It’s then that Liam sinks to his knees sobbing, wails ripping from his throat- not just for Nolan, but for the world. For it all. Mason is there, rubbing big soothing circles on his back, telling him it’s okay. But it’s not. He’s not okay, but he’s too numb to fight right now…

 

“Liam…”

 

He looks up, his eyes burn and warm tears bubble from them and he thinks this is probably the most he’s ever cried in one sitting.

 

“Liam, Iook, this isn’t your fault. Look at his skin… this happened like, maybe a week ago. We would have been too late no matter where we shouldn’t have stopped or what routes would have been shorter. He was bitten before we even left Liam.. There's nothing we could have done differently that would have saved his life.”

 

Liam doesn’t look at Nolan, “But maybe if we…”

 

“No,” Mason’s hand is still a warm and grounding weight on his back, “There is nothing we could have done.”

 

Liam’s staring at his hands on his lap, his head feels light and too heavy all at once, “Liam…” Mason says, so so softly, and with the gentlest touch he cups Liam’s chin, “Li, I need you to go wait outside okay? Can you get up?”  _ God, he’s so gentle. _

 

“Why?” he’s fully aware of how wet his voice sounds when he speaks, how it cracks, pushing down the lump.

 

“I... need to put him down, Li.”

 

“N-no… no wait. Wait okay, what if… we can just, we can come back… when things are better... we’ll come back for him, give him the cure…”

 

“Li… it could take years.” Mason’s voice breaks now, and Liam knows it from him seeing Liam in this state, “We can’t leave someone we care about like this. It’s not right.”

 

Liam nods, tears fall somewhere on the ground with his broken heart.

 

“Li, wait outside for me, okay. I won’t be long. Promise.”

 

Liam gets up, starts toward the door, when he turns back Mason is reloading his Glock. His eyes veer off to the glass doors and he watches Nolan shuffle around slowly facing the open side of the balcony,  where the sun begins to set – pastel orange and purple and pink – his frail figure now a dark silhouette in the light of dusk.  _ At least the last thing he sees will be beautiful, _ Liam thinks and turns away.

 

He stands outside the apartment, back against the wall and he can’t help but listen. He can’t be in there right now and he’s grateful Mason knows that, but he still feels guilty. Maybe if he forces himself to listen, even if he doesn’t see, he’s still kind of there with Mason, still holding his hand in some way.

 

The Glock’s safety clips off, stalling his blood, announcing the moment. The glass door slides open, hardly making a sound and he knows Mason’s trying not to alert Nolan, to keep him in that position- facing away.

 

Liam expects the shot but he still jolts in response to it, feels it vibrating trough him like a rocket. He doesn’t, however, hear the telltale thud of a body dropping and he panics for a second, but then there’s a light rustle of fabric and  _ “That’s it buddy. Easy… easy.” _ Liam realises Mason caught Nolan before he dropped and lowered him to the ground gradually instead.

 

He moves around a bit more,  _ “Sorry Nolan.”  _ And then his footsteps head out toward Liam.

 

Liam gets up instantly throwing his arms around Mason, hugging so tight bones crack between his arms, he pulls back and kisses him, salt and sweat and Twinkies. But, wasted efforts still tastes really bitter.

 

“Thank you.” He murmurs, defeated “thank you.”

 

“Anytime.” Mason hugs back, tight and safe, just how Liam needs to be held right now, “It’ll be okay.” God knows he needs it to be okay, he needs something to be okay right now, even if that thing is just Mason’s arms.

 

“We need to get back. We need to tell the rest.”  Mason whispers, swaying from side to side, hand stroking Liam’s hair.

 

They stay locked in an embrace, guns still in hand- feels like that’s how they’ll be until they die one day.

 

“I don't think we have enough gas…”

 

“There’s plenty of cars around here, it’s the city. And if we can't find one, we scavenge the apartments for a key until we find one, match it up to a car in the lot. Okay?”

 

“Who’s smart now, huh?”

 

They try to smile, they don’t though. As much as Liam hates it, he lets Mason go. They adjust their gear, reload their weapons. Mason used the Glock's last bullet on Nolan and it’s senseless keeping it so he discards it in the hallway.

 

Mason stares at him for a while and when he eventually meets Mason’s eyes, he shrugs in question.

 

“You doing okay?”

 

“For now. I think. I just want to go home. Sleep, hold you.”

 

Mason extends his hand, smiles, and to Liam it looks like that might just be the cure. For everything that’s broken. Just Mason smiling pure and warm. His heart sure feels a hell of a lot better. Liam takes his hand and they make their way out of the apartment complex. It’s quiet in the streets, way too quiet.

 

“Why aren't there any zombies? Wouldn't they be swarming a big city like this?”

 

“Guess they go after where living things are, and by the looks of it everyone’s evacuated here.” He’s right, there are open car doors and scattered belongings everywhere. For such a lively city this is pretty grim.

 

It’s just before they can get close to the SUV that they hear the sound before the scent even hits the air. The hissing of depleted lungs, the gargles of blood and god-knows-what in punctured windpipes. Dragging feet, cracking bones.  _ Thousands. _

 

“Fuck, Mason… do you hear that?” Liam asks, but he knows what the answer is. He knows what’s coming and his mouth runs dry. Mason nods, eyes wide and searching their surroundings, a panicked growl rumbles from his chest.

 

They don’t have close to enough ammo to survive a herd of this magnitude. They’re sitting at a complete disadvantage; the only escape seems to be up the hill, and they have no clue where that leads. Liam weighs the pro’s and cons and up the hill seems to be the only way to go.

 

A massive herd rounds the corner of a big building, spilling in between them and their vehicle.

 

“Mason come on!!!” He grabs the other wolf’s arm and yanks him up the hill, “Lose the back pack!!!” There’s no reason to hold onto anything anymore, anything except Mason. They drop their backpacks save for the last remaining bullets and their weapons. Liam, fires off the Colt, he misses because he’s running and aiming from an odd angle, only nips some shoulders but makes no kills.  The rifle runs empty shortly after that and he disposes of it, drawing his Beretta.

 

The zombies speed up once they smell the wolves and hear the guns go off.

 

“Liam??? The fuck are we going to do??” He glances around, still running, and all he sees are heaps of rotting flesh gaining on them. Mason sprays them with the M60 until it clicks repeatedly, signalling that it’s empty.

 

“Fuck! Okay, we gotta kill some off! Stay close to me!” he steals a begging glance, one that says  _ please, please, please stay alive, don’t leave me, stay alive for me, because I’m scared as hell,  _ “Mason….”

 

“Yeah… Yeah, I know. It’s gonna be fine. Just shoot!” Mason gives him a reassuring nod and pulls his AK, he aims and drops four of them with perfect headshots. “All those years playing video games paid off, huh?”

 

“For-fucking-sure.” Liam replies as he takes out another two. He smiles brightly at Mason but Mason’s face is flat and defeated… where the six lay dead at least ten more emerge from a side street, growing the herd. And the more gunfire echoes, the more zombies appears.

 

Liam swaps the Beretta for his AK once it runs empty, breathless, pressing his side to Mason’s, emptying round after round into the herd. Their gurgles get louder and Mason yells at Liam, “Reload!!!” and Liam turns them so that Mason’s facing the side with the least number of zombies, and while Mason drops more rounds into the gun, he hits one approaching from the side in the head with the wooden butt of the AK and kicks it back further. “Ready!” he yells back at Liam and Liam swings, still moving letting Mason take the herd on while he reloads. “Done!!” He alternates between helping Mason and keeping their backs clear.

 

Liam lets a weak one get close, she’s half broken and disgusting, smelling of sick and rot and just as she lunges he shoves the gun’s metal barrel through her face jerking it back hard. The zombie drops at his feet and just as an extra precaution he puts his heel through the already cracked skull. Double tap right? It’s more out of frustration and anger than the need to survive. He wants to rip loose and tear them all to shreds right now, a part of him doesn’t even care if he gets bitten. He wants them all to fucking die. But he will never leave Mason like this.

 

They’re not making any progress; the zombies just keep coming, growing in numbers. They’re fucked even if they don’t admit it right away. “Mason move, this isn’t helping. Run!” Liam screams and Mason follows him up the hill, their legs hurt as they strain against the uphill and their chest burn with anxiety. This wasn’t supposed to happen, it wasn’t supposed to end this way and Liam’s furious at Scott, at the world, at these fucking monsters, at himself.

 

They reach the top of the hill, panting and shaking, throats dry. There is  _ nothing  _ ahead of them. Nothing. It’s the edge of a high cliff they find themselves on and it's already too late to turn around or run in another direction. There  _ is _ no other direction, and to that the only solace is that the dead can't sneak up from behind… because it’s a 20 foot drop whatever is down there will most likely stay there.

 

The herd spills further into the street, stumbling and swaying chaotically at the foot of the hill, making their way up. They’ve backed up to the last possible place. Behind them and beside is a bottomless drop and in front the undead army closes in. Certain death in both directions.

 

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!!!!” Mason yells, eyes still searching for an escape even if there is none.

 

“Mase... hey, no we can… we’ll just…” he doesn’t know what because along with the hope of surviving all words of comfort or encouragement are lost. There is a scurry beside them and a small group of zombies fall over each other as they emerge from the shrubs. The two wolves shoot and take them all down with a few shots. They cock the guns again, but Liam’s is empty and fear rings in his ears, he looks at Mason who is staring at him with wide brown eyes, fear threatening to shift them to gold.

 

Mason opens the barrel, there is only one bullet left.

 

“Mason. You need to go Mase, I’ll hold them off until you’re far enough.” Liam’s voice breaks as he says it, he doesn’t want him to go, he needs him, but he’d rather see him run than die in front of his eyes. “Go!”

 

“No!! shut up and get ready to fight!!!” Mason yells back, “I’m not leaving you. Ever.” the wolf widens his stance and looks to the herd of approaching corpses, he flicks out his own set of claws from the tips of his fingers.

 

“I love you.”  Silence falls between them. They both know it, they both feel it, but hearing it like this in what could be their last moments… Liam's eyes flicker back to Mason’s and he finds glowing yellow iris pinning him in place, and he knows they  _ have _ to survive somehow, he will find a way. For Mason.

 

“I love you too. As my friend, my  _ best _ friend. And so much more than that. I love you."

 

Mason smiles, and it's so beautiful. Liam honestly hopes it's not the last time he ever sees it. 

 

The sun is sinking behind the city in the far distance, it seems to happen before their eyes. The two wolves swallow and look straight ahead, they take a step toward the other and exhale deeply. There’s nothing more to say, all they can do now is fight until one side prevails- either the undead fall at their hands or they become part of that world. They’re ready as they’ll ever be.

 

_ “You fight.” _ Is what Scott told them. If only he could see them now.

 

Mason looks at Liam and he nods once, quick and sharp, and Mason roars as the corpses approach much faster than they had been before- Deaton warned that it would happen the more advanced the strain became and that eventually they'd be as fast as living humans. The only advantage these two particular humans have is that they are supernatural. Liam will forever be grateful that he begged Scott to turn Mason.

 

Liam delivers the first brutal punch to an older male, he drops into the long grass and a few more stumble over him. Liam crushes their skulls with his heel while they're down, at the same time he rams his fist through another one’s face, pushing him back into the herd.

 

Mason swipes his claws full force at the remains of what was a woman, slicing her weakened neck clean off her body, blood spatters on the grass beside him painting the long weeds a dull red. Liam flashes him an impressed grin but there’s no time to respond as another one stumbles over the headless body and lunges at him. Mason darts out of the way and lets her fall, takes her out with a heel to the temple.

 

“Mase, watch out!!!” Liam yells as he kicks another one back, and it tumbles down the hill, taking a good few with him. There's one behind Mason, he must have snuck by when Liam killed the lunging one. Mason turns, but he's too late and the zombie's hands are around Mason’s throat. Mason manages to keep it at bay- his snarling growl and sharp fangs, however, bears no effect on the zombie. It keeps snapping its blunt teeth until Liam tackles into its side and they plummet to the ground.

 

Liam knows what he just did - taking his eyes off the swarm in front of him - was stupid, they will now have gathered at his back instead. But he can’t stop himself, he sits on the man’s chest, delivering blow after blow after blow until his face caves in. 

 

Familiar arms wrap around his body, his blind rage suddenly dissipates, and he looks around to find Mason talking to him, his lips are moving and his expression’s urgent but Liam can’t hear what he’s saying. Liam’s not sure if it’s the anger still buzzing in his ears but he can’t hear a thing, that is, until Mason points to the sky and Liam follows his hand.

 

A huge military helicopter hovers above them. Before they can appreciate who the pilot is, mangled gurgles draw their attention back to the hill. The undead made their way up, quickly closing in on them. The stench of death bleeds into their nostrils, their eyes burn and for a fleeting second, they think this is it, they are flat on the ground and the walkers are moving way too fast, they won’t have time to get up and run- they’ll be grabbed and bitten before they can. Liam’s thoughts still race when suddenly one corpse after the other drops, blood sprays out behind them as they fall. Liam recognizes the sound of an automated sniper rifle and looks up.

 

Chris Argent salutes them from the helicopter and fires a few more rounds into the herd, dropping the first line and giving Liam and Mason chance to get up.

 

“Come on cuz!!!” the pilot sticks her head out of the window and drops a long ladder. Mason looks up at the brunette, aviator sunglasses and badass leather jacket, “Braeden??”

 

“Yeah! Saving your ass again! Get in!” she yells from above and the two boys scamper to their feet and race for the ladder. There’s a loud crack behind them and they turn to find a blazing Kitsune stabbing her sword into the earth atop the hill, right in the face of the undead, brave just like Liam remembers her, “Kira!!”

 

Kira smiles brightly at them as the fox seeps back into her. She waves quickly and steps aside for the ground to open. She runs toward them and motions that it’s time to go. They help her up the ladder just as the split in the ground widens, revealing the darkness of whatever is down there. The three climb up and Chris helps them into the helicopter one by one. He ceases his firing and they watch the ground swallow the zombies in clusters as Braeden swings the helicopter around and flies off into the other direction, the blades cut through the orange sky and they leave the bloody horizon behind them.

  
  


It’s finally okay. It’s the worst possible version of okay, but they’re alive and breathing and unscathed. As Mason falls asleep with his head on Liam’s shoulder, he watches the blurred landscapes below fly by, colors fading to black as the night sky takes over the world. Liam plants a soft kiss on Mason’s forehead and smiles… 

 

He knows he’ll do it all again in a heartbeat.

 

 


End file.
